Times Of Swaziland: ABUSED KIDS’ MOTHER:  I WAS TOO GROOVY

ABUSED KIDS’ MOTHER:  I WAS TOO GROOVY
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Mlondzi Nkambule, Gcinile Phungwayo  and Sebentile Shongwe on 14/03/2025 07:42:00


MBABANE - “The children were taken away from me because of my wayward
lifestyle.”
Lindokuhle Jele, 24, the mother of two infants who were allegedly abused in
Nhlangano, has spoken about the tragic circumstances that led to one of her
children’s death. The surviving child is currently receiving medical treatment
at Hlatikhulu Government Hospital. Lindokuhle  explained that a relative took
the children away from her on November 30, 2024, promising to take them to a
woman they knew from church.  She admitted that her ‘wayward lifestyle’ had
caused her to be unable to care for her children, as she was frequently out
socialising with friends.
Groovy
“I had the children at a very young age. They were taken away from me because
of my ‘groovy’ lifestyle. I had very little time taking care of them,”
Lindokuhle said. The children were initially taken to a neighbour in Ezulwini,
but Lindokuhle later learnt that the woman had relocated to Nhlangano with the
children, without her knowledge.  The surviving child, who would randomly
interject during the interview, described how they were subjected to harsh
treatment.
He recalled being placed under a cold shower with his brother, soaked and left
outside in the cold until the early hours of the morning. Lindokuhle said she
made regular calls to check on her children, but the relative reassured her that
they were fine. Eventually, the relative got frustrated with her enquiries and
blocked her number. It was on Wednesday that she received a call from him,
telling her to come to Nhlangano, as the police were looking for her concerning
the children’s welfare. Upon arriving, she was informed that her eldest child
had died.
“I was shocked to find most family members in the car that was supposed to
ferry me to Nhlangano. That is when I was told that my elder child had passed
on,” Lindokuhle said. She expressed confusion, having believed all along that
the children were being cared for by a church member in Mbabane. The surviving
child was found in a distressed state, with bruises across his body and face, as
well as a broken arm.
He was found sitting outside at the hospital with his mother, trying to catch
some sunlight, while a team of nurses ensured he was well cared for. Her
assertions were further confirmed by Pastor Samson Jele, who said: “I never
gave away the children; but the woman was a nanny who was offered groceries and
also paid monthly.” The clergy said this when sought for comment following
that there were allegations that he had given away two minors to a woman, who
reportedly abused them.
Succumbed
The pastor said the woman found to have been abusing the two minors, whom one of
them later succumbed to injuries, had been their neighbour in Ezulwini. He said
his family knew the woman as a Christian and had known her for some time as she
had catered for the children while she resided in Ezulwini. The senior citizen
said the woman was asked to cater for the children and was paid monthly by his
son who also gave her groceries on a monthly basis.
He said the reason the woman was asked to take care the children was because
Lindokuhle was falling short in catering for them. “Her social life was hectic
and we ended up requesting that she excuse us as a family as her behaviour was
not in line with our values. I even reported this to the Social Welfare
Department as I had adopted Lindokuhle while she was still young,” he said.
The pastor said after reporting his family’s challenges with regards to
Lindokuhle’s behaviour, the Social Welfare Department advised him to cater for
her for a period of six months which they adhered to. Thereafter, he said they
decided to ensure that the children were attended to by the woman as she had a
Christian foundation. “We were shocked when we learnt of the abuse
developments as my son, since December, has been taking groceries and paying the
woman for catering for the children,” he said.
The four months, the pastor said, catered for December up to this month. He said
this was also the period when the woman had relocated to Nhlangano as she was
constructing a homestead thereat. However, at the end of February, he said his
son had relayed that the children were not looking healthy. The pastor said it
took them aback to establish that the children were being abused. He said they
were hoping the police would uncover a number of things from the arrested woman.
Following the demise of one of the children, the pastor said they had
communicated this with the father.
In fact, he said the family had relayed to the father that he was supposed to
prepare catering for the minor’s education as he was to enrol at preschool.
The demise, he said, had shattered them and they were also looking for answers
as the woman was catered for and never showed any signs of being unhappy
regarding the arrangement they had. “We had advised her that should she feel
the need to return the children to reside with us, she should do so at any
instance,” she said.
Attention
Meanwhile, the matter involving the children has garnered a lot of attention,
especially on social media since it broke yesterday. One user went onto Facebook
to say that the details relating to the issue were a bit sketchy and needed
further probing by authorities. “Stop talking about me,” wrote Lindokuhle 
on her own Facebook account in response to the negative comments she was
receiving. This was a caption for a picture she had posted while lying next to
the child in hospital.
Another user posted: “All parties involved in this matter should be
interrogated for the truth to come out.” Another user said: “The DPM needs
to step in on this issue. She is the only one we can trust as a nation to get to
the bottom of this, with the police of course.” EmaSwati have shown a huge
interest in the matter, with the surviving child’s health being a top
priority.