A 19-year-old teenager from Nkiliji has been sentenced after admitting to abandoning her 15-month-old daughter for more than a week while she allegedly went on a drinking spree at a nearby drinking spot.
Bandiswa Nkonyane appeared before Manzini Magistrate Justice Mzizi on Monday, where she was charged with contravening Section 48(1) of the Children’s Protection and Welfare Act No. 6 of 2012.
According to the charge sheet, Nkonyane, being the mother of a 15-month-old girl, exposed the child to danger by neglecting her parental responsibilities.
According to the charge sheet, her conduct caused, or was likely to cause the infant psychological and emotional harm, thereby contravening the provisions of the Act.
Nkonyane pleaded guilty.
In mitigation, she pleaded for leniency, saying she was sorry for her actions. However, when Magistrate Mzizi asked where she had gone after leaving the child, Nkonyane merely stated that she had ‘gone somewhere’ without disclosing her exact whereabouts.
She further claimed that she had informed the toddler’s father and believed that someone had been asked to look after the infant while she was away.
The court was, however, not convinced by her explanation. Magistrate Mzizi observed that Nkonyane had shown little remorse throughout the proceedings and subsequently sentenced her to two years’ imprisonment with a fine of E2 000.
Meanwhile, it is alleged that on Thursday, July 2, Nkonyane left the toddler in the care of her elderly grandmother before going to a drinking spot at Nyakeni, where she allegedly spent several days consuming alcohol.
She reportedly did not return home until Saturday, July 11.
Fearing for the child’s welfare, the grandmother alerted the police, who traced Nkonyane and placed her under arrest.
It is alleged that this was allegedly not an isolated incident, as Nkonyane had reportedly left the child with the elderly woman on previous occasions to go drinking.
The grandmother, who operates a spaza shop, is said to have struggled to care for the infant while running her business. She reportedly had no choice but to occasionally leave the toddler in the care of other minor children while attending to customers.
