One-year-old found abandoned
The sight of this little boy all by his lonesome self shocked the community of Spring Valley to such an extent that a resident hysterically phoned the police
A one-year-old baby boy was found all by himself in the middle of Spring Valley crawling through dust roads wearing nothing but a pair of pants.
The sight of this little boy all by his lonesome self shocked the community of Spring Valley to such an extent that a resident hysterically phoned the police on October 14.
ER24 ambulance services were dispatched to the scene to assist with medical treatment as the little boy was dehydrated and visibly weak.
It was alleged that an anonymous resident found the boy in front of her house sitting in the sun and dust, with no adult supervision in sight.
The welfare organization, Christian Social Council, along with the police and South African Community Crime Watch (SACCW) were on the scene at the time of the WITBANK NEWS’s arrival.
Estie Biela and Maritza van Niekerk from ER24 were busy stabilizing the boy before rushing him to Witbank Provincial Hospital.
The mother was nowhere to be found and it’s believed that she just left her child there and went on a drinking spree.
“I was already in Spring Valley doing work at the primary school when I got a phone call from one of my colleagues informing me about the abandoned boy that was found. I rushed to the location and found the boy already in the ambulance,” said the social worker from the welfare organisation, Ms Purity Xolo.
WITBANK NEWS brought it under attention of the CMR that there was no case of neglect opened by the Witbank Police Station against the child’s mother before going to print, but were promised that procedure will be followed to get the boy in a place of safety after he is discharged from the hospital.
As the Children’s Act no. 38 of 2005, Section 150 states: “A child is in need of care and protection if the child has been abandoned or orphaned and is without any visible means of support.”
“The boy is still in hospital for the treatment of dehydration in the paediatric ward but will definitely make a 100% recovery,” Biela added.
WITBANK NEWS did an article on the first baby box that was launched at New Life Church in Mandela Drive two weeks ago and founder of the “SACCW Baby Box” project, Maureen Scheepers, said that it’s ironic because she was busy running an awareness campaign for the project on that day when the call came through.
“Spring Valley is definitely on our list of identified problem areas. It is so important that we install a box in all the red zones of eMalahleni to prevent horrible scenes like these. We are currently looking for a site near Spring Valley that we can use for a baby box. If there is anyone who wants to reach out and support this cause, they can contact me on 082 565 6770,” she concluded.
*The name of the anonymous resident is being withheld for the baby’s safety.
