Durban — Eight months after her 9-month-old baby boy died after an injury believed to have been sustained while in the care of a crèche, a KwaMashu mother was still waiting to have her witness statement taken by the police.
Baby Nkanyezi Radebe was taken off life support machines on Valentine’s Day after failing to wake from an induced coma. He had a severe head injury and bleeding in the brain.
On Monday, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala said the matter was still under investigation.
In June police told the Daily News: “We can confirm an inquest docket was opened at KwaMashu for investigation. The matter is under investigation.”
Nkanyezi’s mother, Pinky Ngcobo, said the first and last time she spoke to the investigating officer was in February when he introduced himself.
“Nothing has happened, he never called me again, there’s been no update, it’s like nothing happened. I’ve reached a point where I have given up because I feel like from the way things have been going so far, I won’t be getting any justice.”
Nkanyezi began attending the crèche towards the end of January. His mother said the moment he started, he would come home with some kind of bruise or small injury such as scratches and or pinch marks.
One day Nkanyezi came home with a bruise on his forehead that had markings that indicated he had fallen on gravel. However, his mother was told that he had fallen off the sofa.
Next day, when Nkanyezi returned from crèche, the parents noticed there seemed to be something wrong. He was not standing and not playing; he was almost vegetable-like. When the childminder at the crèche was questioned by Nkanyezi’s mother, she said the child came down with a fever.
Nkanyezi was taken back to the crèche the next day on assurance by the owner that should his condition worsen, she would phone the parents. However, they later learnt that on that day Nkanyezi had been given Disprin by the owner and not long thereafter he collapsed. The teacher brought him home to his father, unresponsive.
At the local clinic, he was transferred to a hospital where tests were done, following which the parents were told Nkanyezi had a severe head injury with bleeding on his brain.
Ngcobo said her son was put into an induced coma for two days. They had expected him to wake up, however, they found his brain was dead.
“It’s hard coping with all this. I have been going to counselling but have stopped because it’s not helping.
“And as for the crèche owner, it’s business as usual for her. I also see her every Sunday in church as we are congregants together. She smiles and greets us in church.”
Ngcobo said she had stopped phoning the investigating officer because when she did, he didn’t even remember who Nkanyezi is.
“Sometimes he will say he is on leave and is back home. I’ve stopped phoning him because I can see that I am irritating him. The last time I phoned he said there was nothing he could do as he was awaiting post-mortem results which can take two years.”
Daily News