By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
18 December 2024- North West Department of Social Development has repatriated 27 teenage boys from Mozambique back home after they resurfaced from Stilfontein unused mines more than a month ago. Among the 27 undocumented children, 15 were found by the police in Klerksdorp and 12 others resurfaced from the abandoned mines.
The North West MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie said the minors were placed in temporary safe care in the capital Mahikeng for two weeks. Dantjie said they were involved in illegal mining activities in Stilfontein.
“Their placement in temporary safe care by the department, is in line with the provisions of Children Act, which mandate social workers or police officials to remove a child who is in danger and place them in temporary safe care.
“On Tuesday, at 00:00, the social workers managing the case set out to repatriate the children to Lebombo Border with a police escort. This comes after they got permission from the court to release them from their place of safety,” she said.
Dantjie further said the court allowed them to repatriate these minors and hand them over to their counterparts in Mozambique, who will then reunify the children with their parents. She added that this was made possible after the Mozambican Consulate issued them with temporary travel documents and allowed a care-to-care process between the Social Development Departments in the two countries.
“This was facilitated by the Department of Social Development and International Social Workers Services. The children will be handed over to social workers at the Lebombo border on Tuesday.
“We have expressed profound gratitude to our departmental team led by the acting Head of Department, Dr Fezile Ngqobe for arranging temporary safe care for children and also working around the clock to repatriate the children to their original country,” she said.
Dantjie said they thank all the stakeholders, who came forward and played a critical role in ensuring that these children receive the necessary care and protection. She said they also thank the Mozambican Consulate for speeding up the process of repatriation.
“My department together with the stakeholders, we are ready to provide similar services to other children, who may resurface from the old gold mines in Stilfontein,” said Dantjie.
The Guardian 