Cape Town – The mother of a 5-year-old boy, Masonwabe Mapolisa, reportedly spent the past weekend searching for him after he went missing from JA Ncaca Primary School in Cradock, Eastern Cape.
The child was eventually found locked inside a classroom, naked and with paint on his head.
The boy was locked for three days during the coldest weekend of the year, reports said.
“The legs of the boy were very dark. They found the boy naked in class and there was paint all over his head. They didn’t tell me why he was naked,” Times Live quoted the mother as saying.
The report said that the mother had initially asked her daughter and a teacher to help locate him but was unsuccessful.
They reported him missing to the police, and a detective was assigned to the case.
A search was launched for Masonwabe but couldn’t find him.
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They asked a teacher if the child had been locked inside the school, but she insisted there was no one there. They then decided to search the school themselves on Monday but before they could do so, a teacher “came screaming” and announced during an assembly that the boy had been found in one of the classrooms.
The mother and detective had requested to view CCTV footage but they were allegedly told that the cameras were not working.
Masonwabe was taken to the hospital without his jacket and shoes. He was later airlifted to another hospital for treatment.
According to Daily Maverick, Masonwabe remained in critical condition on Tuesday night.
The Eastern Cape education department has launched an investigation to determine the events surrounding the incident.
The spokesperson for the Eastern Cape education department, Malibongwe Mtima, said those responsible should face consequences.
“We have launched a full-scale investigation. We want to find out what happened. Should anyone be [liable], that person will face the full wrath of the law. This is a child we are talking about. Educators should supervise that all learners leave the premises [after school],” the report quoted Mtima as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
