4-year-old left at Plumstead cemetery reunited with family

Lusanda Bill
28 January 2015

The 4-year-old boy who was found wandering in the Plumstead cemetery on Saturday is back with his family. 

The Department of Social Development intervened after the family only reported the child missing late Sunday.

The boy was found by a passer-by who immediately took the child to Diep River police station.

Ministerial Spokesperson Sihle Ngobese said social workers were called to the police station where they stayed with the toddler in the hopes that his family would show up. However a decision was eventually taken to temporarily place the child in a safe home in the evening whilst efforts to trace his family were on-going.  

Ngobese said the following day police alerted social workers of a call made by the family regarding their missing grandchild and social workers immediately went to the family to interview the grandparents and assess the situation.

“The one grandmother admitted she lost sight of the child during a burial service held at the cemetery but assumed the child was in the care of other relatives” Ngobese added.