Daily Sun (May 13 2014) - SHE wanted to practise her democratic right to vote . . .So she violated the rights of her child. WHEN SHE WENT TO THE POLLING STATION SHE CHAINED HER SON TO A POLE LIKE A DOG! Health spokesman Ronnie Masilela has condemned the behaviour. "Children have rights and they must be properly brought up," he said.
Residents of Saselani Village near Bushbuckridge couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the nine-year-old boy chained to a pole in the hot Mpumalanga sun with a heavy chain last Wednesday. They want the mother to be locked up in jail and the key thrown away.
It appears the boy's mother had gone to vote.
When the SunTeam arrived they found the boy surrounded by angry villagers. The boy's 14-year-old brother, who seemed to think it was all a joke, had reluctantly agreed to let the boy be unlocked.
He allegedly said: "I know where my mother keeps the key but I will not tell you because he runs around too much. She often chains him like this so that he has to stay at home."
Then the chained boy's aunt arrived, clearly unhappy with the situation.
"What monster chained you up like this?" she asked.
"My mum," sobbed the boy.
It appears the mum has gone into hiding. When Daily Sun visited the house yesterday, no one answered the door but neighbours said she had been seen in the house. She is not answering her phone either.
The aunt has since taken the boy to live with her.
Lieutenant Ndlovukazi Mashele said they had not received any formal complaint about a boy being chained.
Masilela said: "Such treatment of children leads to them repeating the behaviour with their own children when they grow up.
"We want to find out what is going on to make sure this child is looked after properly."
See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....
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