Durban: The father of a toddler is demanding justice after his two-year-old son was allegedly abused by his crèche teacher.
CCTV footage shows the child playing on the floor in a classroom at a Pre-Primary and Crèche in Phoenix.
The teacher, who is also sitting on the floor, pushes the child with her foot. He then falls forward, hitting his face onto a carpet that was on the floor.
It is believed that, as a result of the fall, the child suffered a cut to his nose, and his forehead was swollen.
The child’s father said: "A day before the incident, I received a call from the teacher informing me that my son ran into a locker at the school and hurt his lip and nose. When I asked to see the CCTV footage of the incident, I was told that due to the bad weather, there was no recording.
“I was upset, but because I know he is a playful child, I thought it could have been an accident. However, when I fetched him from school on Thursday, the teacher told me that he had scratched his nose while playing."
He said when he looked at the injury, it was not a scratch but a laceration.
"His forehead was swollen, but the teacher could not explain how it happened. I questioned her about where she was, and once again, she did not answer.
“I was upset and left the crèche with my son. While driving home, I had a feeling that the teacher was not telling me the truth. When we reached our home, I looked at him, and he was crying. He is still learning to speak. But he was holding his head, and I knew he was in pain. I called the teacher and demanded to view the CCTV footage from the classroom."
He said he drove back to the school.
"I was told to wait because they needed permission from the principal to show me the footage. I waited for about 20 minutes before I barged into the office. I found the teacher and her colleagues viewing the footage. I demanded they play it back. That is when I saw my son being kicked by the teacher and falling forward. It seemed intentional because she did not wake up to help him."
The father said he returned home and took his son to the hospital for a check-up.
"My son is a strong boy, and I was thankful he did not suffer any serious injuries. The principal paid for his x-rays, but she has failed to address us. I also went to the Phoenix police station and opened a case of assault against the teacher."
The man said his son had been going to the crèche since last year.
"I previously noticed slight bruises on him, but I was told he got hurt while playing. I never questioned what I was told.
“I trusted the crèche to care for him, but they have misplaced that trust. I am speaking out to make other parents aware of what can go on at some crèches.
"I am now scared to send my son to any crèche. He is being cared for by my mother. But it is painful to know that someone hurt my child.”
He said he had lost a daughter in 2018 due to brain seizures. The child was six months old, and this latest incident has brought back painful memories.
"We want answers. And we want the teacher removed because she clearly doesn't know how to care for children."
The principal declined to comment. However, during an interview on tv news channel eNCA, she said the teacher had been dismissed.
Meanwhile, following the incident, Nonhlanhla Khoza, the MEC of Social Development in KZN, sent a team of social workers to the crèche to investigate.
She called for zero tolerance towards people who abuse children and called on police to act swiftly to arrest the perpetrator.
“It doesn’t matter whether the ECD is privately run, but child protection is our responsibility. Children's rights are contained in the Constitution. We are not going to tolerate any abuse of children. We call on the law enforcement agencies to make an example of the people who abuse our children,” she said.
"The ECD centres are governed by the laws and are registered in terms of the Children’s Act. They are registered as partial care facilities and must comply with norms and standards for registration as stipulated in section 79 of Children’s Act 38 of 2005.
"The law also stipulates that the registered ECD centre must conduct vetting of all employees before being given a responsibility to take care of the children."
On Monday, members of the community staged a protest outside the crèche.
A parent said his five-year-old daughter, who also attended the school, came home with bruising on her back earlier this month.
"I was told she hurt herself on the playground. I was upset because I wanted to know why the teachers were not supervising the children. We could not get any answers. As a result, our daughter now attends another crèche.”
Jonathan Annipen, the IFP councillor, said Pillay had reported the matter to him.
"We demand to know if every educator employed at the institution is registered with the South African Council of Educators and if they have the relevant training and qualifications. Parents pay hefty prices to have their children placed at such establishments and should be entitled to the best possible service."
Jackie Branfield, the director of Operation Bobbi Bear, said before enrolling a child into a crèche, parents must ask the school about the background of their teachers.
"Ask about their qualifications, if background and criminal checks have been done on them. In today's society, we cannot take any chances. Parents must not think they are over-reacting. We must remember we are leaving our children, little babies, who cannot speak or defend themselves in their care."
Captain Nqobile Gwala, a provincial police spokesperson, said a case of assault is being investigated after a two-year-old child was assaulted while at a crèche in Phoenix.
She said the docket has been transferred to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for further investigation.
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