A grieving mother of a 5-year-old girl whose lifeless body was found in a daycare centre’s pit latrine toilet is calling on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
The department of Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal reported that the child’s body was recovered in a pit latrine toilet after she was missing from the Thornwood daycare centre.
“It is alleged that last week the child was reported missing after children were taken to an ablution facility during the day. The teacher did not notice that the child had not returned to the classroom, but only realised during the counting. After a few minutes, she went out searching for the child, but in vain.
“A long search for the child failed and her lifeless body was later found in a pit latrine after police were involved. The department was informed about the horrible incident that occurred at an ECD (Early Childhood Development) centre,” said the department’s spokesperson Mhlabunzima Memela.
Nana Nyembe said her daughter was a bright child.
“My daughter showed immense independence for her age, she could fully comprehend and carry out instructions. Knowing her personality, I do not understand how she could have fallen in a pit latrine toilet,” she explained.
Nyembe said her daughter started attending the centre in February as she had no one to look after her as she was working during the day.
The department said the facility was registered as an non-profit organisation and not as an ECD centre.
Memela said parents should make sure that the daycare centres that their children are enrolled in are registered.
“This is important because registered ECDs have certain requirements to meet that ensures the safety of children. Social workers are dispatched to the centre to check if the environment is child-friendly, in terms of the infrastructure, if the children are fed nutritionally, they also look at educational material and ablution facilities.
“The centres registered by the department have toilet seats that are made for children. These are all the important facilities a centre should possess,” he said.
Memela said the challenge that leads to unregistered ECD centres is due to the pressing need in some communities.
“The community then builds their own without proper consultation with the department. Another challenge is that people do not seek to register their centres because they do not want to follow the rules put in place. The department is a custodian for children, we are there to ensure that people abide by the laws and not do their own things to avoid such incidents,” said Memela.
Memela said the centre was being investigated.
“The matter is still being investigated and we will have to make a decision based on what the investigation reveals,” he said.
KZN police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala said an inquest docket was being investigated at Mariannhill police station.
The Mercury