28/05/2026
โ๐โ๐ข ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ค๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐จโ '๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ, ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐.'
๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ง๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข'
A newborn baby was left at the gate of a place of safety this week.
The mother arrived carrying her child, said she could no longer cope, left the baby and ran away.
Instead of compassion, what followed was anger, frustration, judgement, and a shocking glimpse into how broken our child protection system has become.
The DSD social worker was contacted, when she arrived, her response was not concern for the mother or the baby. Instead, she repeatedly complained that she was โgatvolโ of mothers abandoning children.
She questioned why the mother was not stopped.
She complained that these mothers โjust drop and drop the way they want.โ She said: โWhat the hell am I going to do?โ
โI donโt have clothes, food, or anything for the child.โ โWhoโs going to register this child?โ โIโm not going to take them anymore.โ
" If she feels like throwing a child in the deep of the pit, let her go and drop her child there. Itโs her child.
Yes โ social workers are under pressure.
Yes โ the system is collapsing under lack of support, resources, staffing, and accountability.
But what does it say about our society when a mother is so desperate she runs away after leaving her newborn at a safe placeโฆ and the very people meant to protect vulnerable women respond with anger instead of help? These are not โbad mothers.โ
These are often women facing poverty, abuse, homelessness, mental health struggles, fear and isolation.
Many are terrified. Many have nowhere to turn. Many are treated like criminals the moment they ask for help.
And yet โ this mother still chose a place of safety.
She did not leave her baby in a field, a drain, or a toilet. She brought the child somewhere she believed the baby would survive.
That matters.
The tragedy here is bigger than one abandoned baby.
It exposes a child protection system that is exhausted, underfunded, traumatised, and failing both mothers and children.
If frontline workers are this burnt out and unsupported, how are vulnerable mothers treated when no one is listening?
South Africa needs more than outrage. We need support systems. Safe surrender awareness. Mental health support for mothers. Resources for places of safety.
And accountability inside the very departments meant to protect the vulnerable. Because no mother should feel so hopeless that running away is her only option.