ActionSA raises alarm over alleged abuse and neglect of disabled girl

ActionSA has raised serious concerns regarding the alleged negligence of a mother whose 12-year-old disabled daughter, Precious, reportedly suffered sexual abuse at the hands of multiple men. 

The harrowing situation came to light following reports from concerned community members who alerted ActionSA about the suspected ongoing abuse of Precious. According to the party, the mother has been arrested and now faces charges of child neglect and fraud.

Pertinently, while Precious has not been attending school due to her disability, her birth certificate was reportedly misused to register her younger sibling in an educational institution.

ActionSA's ward councillor for Cosmos City, Sello Mabelebele, voiced frustration at the authorities' failure to act swiftly, despite multiple pleas from concerned residents.

“When the issue was brought to us, we engaged directly with the child’s mother, brother, and sister. What we uncovered was deeply disturbing, and we wasted no time in escalating the matter to SAPS and the Cosmo City police,” said Mabelebele.

Mabelebele stated that after contacting the police, he requested that a social worker attend to the home and ensure that the child was moved to a place of safety. After the case was opened, the child was taken to a safe house in Soweto.

Despite this intervention, Mabelebele expressed his frustration over the sluggish pace of the investigation, which compelled him to submit a memorandum of demand to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola on April 9.

“Only after we handed over the memorandum did we start to see real movement from the police, including arrests, one of which was the child’s mother,” he said.

Mabelebele added the appalling condition in which the child was found, with no clothes besides what she had on and covered in her faeces. He added, “The mother’s willful neglect of her child is a severe breach of parental responsibility and directly contributed to the abuse she suffered.”

He further revealed that the mother was allegedly intoxicated on the day of the incident and had been verbally abusive toward her children.

She reportedly admitted on the scene that Precious had been assaulted by multiple men in her home — a revelation that, according to Mabelebele, underscores both her irresponsibility and her complicity in failing to protect her daughter.

Phili Dlomo, the 24-year-old brother of young Precious, has defended their mother amid public outrage, denying allegations of child neglect. 

“She raised seven of us on her own. Yes, she had her struggles, but she did everything she could for us,” he said. 

Dlomo added that he doesn’t believe their mother failed in her responsibilities and expressed deep concern about her well-being in custody. 

“She’s not well, and being in jail is only making her health worse,” he explained. 

Regarding the claims that Precious was raped, Sizwe said he did not know of such incidents.

ActionSA has maintained a vocal stance on the challenges facing children with disabilities and has been particularly critical of the chronic lack of support from the Department of Social Development.

“Our concern is that institutions meant to protect vulnerable children continue to misdiagnose and misunderstand the core issues. In Precious’s case, none of the social workers assigned to the family identified the signs of abuse,” Mabelebele said, insisting that social workers need to be more proactive in safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable children.

Furthermore, ActionSA has formally petitioned the prosecutor at the Randburg Magistrate's Court to deny bail for the mother, citing the need to protect the child and preserve the integrity of the investigation.

The party also called on the State to pursue the maximum penalties for criminal neglect and urged urgent reforms to better safeguard children with disabilities within South Africa’s justice and social systems.

The mother is expected to make her fourth court appearance on  8 May, as investigations into the disturbing case continue to unfold.

Watch the video here: https://rumble.com/v6t2wkd-actionsa-raises-alarm-over-alleged-abuse-and-neglect-of-disabled-girl.html

The Star

[email protected]