Home

SAHRC investigates reports of child malnutrition in Eastern Cape

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A number of children in the Eastern Cape live in extreme poverty. Reports of child malnutrition and starvation have been on increase in this province, prompting an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Currently, a four-month infant is fighting for her life in a hospital in Gqeberha due to malnutrition and more mothers are coming forward to say they are struggling to feed their children.

An infant barely survives on only powdered cold drink mix. The cruel reality of one of many children born into poverty in the Walmer Township in Gqeberha.

Julia Mbambo of  Sihlambesinye community services says they rushed the child to hospital where she got intensive care because of the condition the child was in.

“We rushed the child to hospital where she got intense attention because of the condition the child was in. They had her on oxygen and an ambulance took her to another hospital where she got drip and oxygen again. She’s been there for over two weeks now and she is still in a critical condition.”

The mother of the child does not have an ID document and cannot access government support for herself or the child.

In the same community, another mother says she always concerned about the next meal.  She is unemployed and does not receive any child grants. She says her heart aches every time her children go to bed hungry.

“Sometimes I ask from my neighbours for something to eat, but sometimes, just like two days back, we went to bed without a meal. We accepted that, a lady close by always helps, she gives my kids porridge every morning, we rely on hand-outs for survival.”

Councillor Nozuko Mbambo-Tys says child headed homes are prevalent in this area and also a growing trend of unregistered children, born to unregistered parents.

“Some of them are child headed family homes, some are women, they are not working, and they have a lot of people staying in the house. You find a house where there are between four to eight people and not even a RDP house, a shack. That on its own shows the high rate of poverty in this area.”

MEC for Social Development’s spokesperson Busisiwe Jemsana-Mantashe says they vow to step in and assist.

“We’ve already enrolled the children in our nutrition program where we will be giving them nutrition packs for a period of 10 months, working with the Department of Health to monitor their growth. But also, SASSA is on site, working tirelessly to make sure that those children get their support grant this December. Because children are legible for child support grant even without birth certificate, for a period of three months, while the parents are sorting out paperwork with Home Affairs.”

Earlier this year, seven children also died in Butterworth due to a lack of food. It is estimated that 72% of the population of the Eastern Cape live below the poverty line.

Concerns over chronic malnutrition in SA:

Author

MOST READ