Govt officials travel to Mauritius to bring back SA prisoner’s child

6 Views

If South Africa’s Department of Social Development does not act quickly to repatriate a 5-year-old child born to a South African mother imprisoned in Mauritius, it could make it harder for her to ever return to her family in the future.

The department has confirmed to the media that a team will travel to Mauritius to bring the little girl back to South Africa. They will leave on 9 December 2024 and are expected to return on 13 December 2024.

The girl’s mother, a South African citizen, was arrested in May 2019 for drug trafficking while she was pregnant. The child has lived and grown up in the prison with her mother since birth.

South Afirca’s Department of Social Development got involved after the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) asked for help on 15 May 2024.

DIRCO requested assistance to trace the girl’s family, assess their situation, and arrange for her to be brought back home.

SA’s Department of Social Development explained that if the little girl is not brought back to South Africa, she might be placed in the welfare system in Mauritius. This could make it much harder for her to be reunited with her family in South Africa in the future.

The Children’s Act in South Africa requires the Department of Social Development to help children in distress who are in foreign countries. To follow this law, the department assessed the child’s grandmother in the North West province to see if she could take care of the child.

CHILD TO BE PLACE IN CARE OF SA GRANDMOTHER

The grandmother was found to be a suitable guardian and agreed to look after the little girl until her mother is released from prison. Once the child is back in South Africa, she will go straight into her grandmother’s care.

The child is also expected to receive the appropriate counselling upon being separated from her biological mother.

22 SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN BROUGHT BACK FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

Since 2015, the Department of Social Development has brought 22 South African children back home from other countries. The department said it is committed to making sure children are safe and can live with their families whenever possible.

This operation will give the 5-year-old girl the chance to grow up in a stable home with her family. The department said it is working to ensure her best interests are protected.

WOMEN’S PRISONS

Women prisons in Mauritius are not designed to accommodate mothers with children and often lack the safe, nurturing environments essential for a child’s healthy development. Also, living in a prison can expose a child to stress, fear, and potentially traumatic experiences that could harm their mental and emotional well-being.

Many countries, including South Africa, prioritise placing children in environments that align with their best interests. This often means separating them from incarcerated parents to ensure their overall well-being and future prospects.