Cops rescue kids from illegal discipline camp – two to apply for bail
Suspects will apply for bail on Wednesday.
The two men arrested in connection with child abuse at a discipline camp outside Evander last week, will apply for bail in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on April 16.
Mduduzi Shabangu (24) and Mohlomi Ramohai (29), the camp owner, first appeared in Court on April 11 after 20 teens were rescued from the discipline camp on April 8. The children were allegedly beaten and starved at the camp that was supposed to help them with attitude problems.
The Evander police, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, shut down this discipline camp on April 8. Located between the Evander industrial area and the Adullam Mission Station, the camp is visible to motorists travelling on the R546 between Evander and eMbalenhle.
The 20 rescued children – both boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 17 – were from eMbalenhle and other provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and North West. Their parents were contacted to collect them. Some of the rescued children had visible bruises from alleged abuse.
They told the Ridge Times that they were beaten with a hosepipe for any wrongdoing. They also reported being forced to roll in cattle dung, especially when it rained, and were only fed once daily. The camp is surrounded by two cattle kraals, and the children’s tents were set up near these kraals.
According to Thembi Msibi, an intermediary at the Evander Magistrate’s Court, the camp was closed because it violated the Children’s Act.
“One of the children managed to escape from the camp and came straight to the Evander Magistrate’s Court to report the abuse. When we, along with the police, visited the site, it wasn’t initially to shut down the camp, but rather to verify the child’s claims,” explained Msibi.
She described the conditions at the camp as shocking. Ridge Times was also on the scene. The stench was almost unbearable and the kitchen where food was kept, was extremely dirty.
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According to Msibi, the camp had no legal paperwork to operate. “Working with children requires the involvement of the Department of Social Development and our court to ensure their safety from abuse.
“The camp owner fled the scene instead of speaking to us. He might have been assisted with the proper legal processes if he had cooperated,” said Msibi.
She acknowledged that communities see the need for such camps to manage unruly children but emphasised that they must be operated legally and safely.
“Some parents initially blamed us for closing the camp when collecting their children from the Evander Police Station. But we realised they had never visited the camp themselves. Had they seen the conditions, they might have removed their children much sooner,” Msibi added.
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A parent, who came to collect her child on the day of the closure, told the Ridge Times it was her first time seeing the camp after her son was admitted.
“I found out about the camp through social media and thought it could help my son, who is using drugs. I hoped it would correct his behaviour. When I brought him, the owner didn’t allow me to enter. I was told to wait on the road to Adullam. He came, took my son, his mattress, and the payment, and left.”
The police’s Family Violene, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit is investigating the case. The camp owner and another man were later arrested.
They appeared in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on April 11. Evander Police spokesperson Sergeant Zukiswa Mxhotjelwa confirmed that assault charges have been opened.
