When it came to making a choice between her young children and the new man in her life, a woman chose the later.
The 41-year-old mother dumped her children aged 11, seven and five to look after themselves, packed up her belongings and moved in with her lover.
According to Daily Sun SA, the three kids from Siyabuswa A in Mpumalanga, who cannot be named to protect their rights, have been living on their own, sleeping in each others’ arms for the past two months because their mum allegedly immediately moved in with her new man and hasn’t returned since.
A neighbour gogo Ellie Skosana (62) (pictured with the kids) said she realised the kids were living on their own when they kept coming to ask for food. They had no warm clothes or shoes, and had to find warmth in each other’s arms at night.
“Each time I asked why their mum had not cooked for them, they simply said she was away. I assumed she was out looking for work, but later I realised I had not seen her in her yard for about two months. So I questioned the kids further.”
The oldest child said his mum came with her new lover and took most of her things a long time ago and hadn’t returned since. He said his mum already had a newborn baby with her lover and believed that was why she abandoned them.
“These kids have not attended school since last June. They don’t even have clinic cards or birth certificates. I am not related to them, but I could not sit back and watch them suffer like this. So I took them in.”
Daily Sun finally tracked down the mum at her new lover’s home. She claimed she loved her kids, but had to abandon them because she didn’t have much to offer them.
“I can’t even look for a job because my ID vanished last year,” she said.
Social development spokesman Ronnie Masilela said children should have shelter, and food and attend school.
“A social worker will visit the kids and do an assessment to determine what steps should be taken,” Masilela promised.
Source: Daily Sun SA