MUM (27) ARRESTED FOR ABANDONING HER 5 CHILDREN

NKWALINI – Social Welfare workers and police officers rescued five children from their mother after repeated reports that she had abandoned them to go and enjoy alcohol in a local tavern.

The 27-year-old woman was eventually arrested and slapped with charges related to abandoning the children, who are aged between two and nine.
Information gathered was that *Lolo was reported by her neighbours, who allegedly spotted her at a local watering hole on numerous occasions, while her children were left unattended in her rented flat in one of the townships, around Mbabane. It was said that two of the minors are sickly and suffer from malnourishment and marasmus. In an interview yesterday, Lolo’s neighbours confirmed having reported her to the police, after she repeatedly abandoned her children in her rented flat.

One of Lolo’s neighbours, who has been staying for almost a year in his rented flat, said he had observed that the children were always left on their own, despite that they were young. “One day I sent one of her children to the shop to buy bread and eggs, so that I could prepare food for them and when *Lolo came back, she verbally attacked me and told me to leave her children alone,” said the neighbour.

Tavern

Another community member, who operates a local tavern, explained that Lolo would at times talk about the challenges she was facing, including her hardship with the children. “I once advised her to seek help from the Social Welfare Department or the police,” the neighbour said. He also stated that Lolo was in a relationship with a certain man, who resided in the area, and at times she would spend some days at his flat. When this publication visited Lolo’s alleged boyfriend, who was said to be visually impaired, he was not there. However, clothes were found near the doorstep, in a washing basket and a black refuse bag, which the neighbour said belonged to Lolo.

In an interview prior to her arrest, Lolo said she tried to take care of her children by cooking for them during the day, so that when evening fell, she could go to enjoy alcohol. She said: “The children are stressing me so much. I go to drink alcohol believing that when I return home, I will sleep peacefully.” She mentioned that she collected and sold used cans for a living. However, what worried her was that the money she earned was not enough to cater for her needs.

Arrested

Asked about the father of the children, she said four of them had one father, who was arrested sometime ago. She also said the father of the last-born stayed around Matsapha. “My in-laws, from the four children, said that they have nothing to support me with, and that I should work out a solution on my own to maintain the children,” she said. The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Communications Officer, Zanele Dlamini, said: “We have taken all the children and placed them in a safe home.” She further urged mothers who had problems with fathers who did not pay their children’s maintenance to approach the Social Welfare offices to be assisted.

“We do not want cases whereby the parents will end up killing the children and then commit suicide.” She added that when people suspect and observe child abuse, they should report it to the Social Welfare offices. They can also call their toll-free line at 116. Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the arrest of the 27-year-old woman. She said, however, investigations were still ongoing. Not her real name to hide the identity of the minors.

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