With four days to go, one constant reminder is that Christmas is a time to slow down, reflect, recharge and reconnect with what matters the most to everyone.
It is a time for families to gather in warmth and share laughter, delicious meals, stories and memories.
However, for a new child-headed family that seems impossible ahead of Christmas Day, following the abrupt vanishing of their mother.
This is after a 12-year-old girl in the rural community of Maseyisini was forced into the role of a parent, after being left alone to care for her three younger siblings, following the sudden disappearance of their mother.
The four children, aged between three and 12 years old, are now surviving on the goodwill of neighbours, who have raised an alarm over what they described as a dire and heart-breaking situation.
According to the community members, the children’s mother arrived in Maseyisini with them after being in a relationship with the owner of the homestead.
The man later left the area to seek employment in South Africa, leaving the children in the care of their mother.
However, shortly after his departure, the woman also left, abandoning the children entirely.
Community members say the mother is believed to have left at the beginning of the year and had not returned since.
With no adult supervision or reliable source of income, the siblings have been left to fend for themselves.
Neighbours report that the children regularly move from one homestead to another, asking for food items just to survive.
“It was painful to watch. Their situation was dire, and we were all wondering how a mother could leave her children alone for such a long time,” said one neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The neighbour explained that while the community had tried to assist informally, the growing severity of the situation prompted them to raise an alarm so they could get long-term help.
They shared that they usually help where they could, but were also struggling.
The community members shared that their situation was almost similar, but when they see children suffering like that, they could not keep quiet.
They said they felt the need to raise an alarm because these children were having a very hard time.
The impact of the abandonment has been devastating, particularly on the children’s education and emotional well-being.
One of the siblings has reportedly dropped out of school entirely to stay at home and take care of the youngest child, who is only three years old.
The 12-year-old girl, who is still attending school, now carries the heavy responsibility of ensuring that her siblings eat.
According to the community members, the girl goes to school like other children, but when she comes back, she must think about where food will come from.
They shared that instead of playing or doing homework freely, she was worrying about survival not just for her but her siblings as well.
Neighbours say the children often spend evenings without a proper meal, relying on occasional donations of maize meal, vegetables, or leftovers from surrounding homesteads.
There are also growing concerns on their safety, health and emotional state, especially given their ages and the absence of adult care.
With the festive season approaching, the children are expected to face an especially difficult Christmas.
“While other children are looking forward to Christmas, these ones will have a dull one,” the neighbour said.
The situation has sparked concern among residents, who fear that without urgent intervention, the children’s condition could deteriorate further.
When the mother of the children, Thandeka Mngometulu, was called for a comment, she stated that she left going to a funeral at her home, adding that she was waiting for the distribution of food parcels from a stockvel she had joined.
She claimed that she would send her 19-year-old to check up on them but then discovered that he never went to see the children.
Mngometulu said she would return to the children, though she was not specific on the time frame.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Communications Officer Zanele Dlamini described the situation as unfortunate and concerning, confirming that social welfare officers would follow up on the case.
“This situation is very unfortunate. Our social welfare officers will follow up on the matter,” Dlamini said.
She further appealed to members of the public to report similar cases as soon as they are aware of them, urging the nation to make use of the toll-free social welfare line.
“We request the nation to raise alarm as soon as they see such incidents by calling 116, which is our toll-free line,” she said.
Dlamini strongly condemned the abandonment of children, stressing that their safety and well-being must always be prioritised.
“We strongly condemn such acts. Children have to be protected and safe at all times,” she added.
