Public anger has mounted over perceived failures in the child protection system after a disturbing video showing the abuse of an intellectually disabled boy in Macassar circulated widely on social media.
The footage, which has sparked widespread condemnation, shows a boy known in the community to have intellectual and physical disabilities being assaulted after entering a nearby home.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of the role and oversight of non-government organisations (NGOs) contracted by the Department of Social Development (DSD) to provide child protection services.
On-the-ground activist Zona Morton said the child, an intellectually disabled teenager, had previously been flagged as at risk and referred twice to Child Welfare South Africa, the designated NGO funded by DSD in the Macassar area.
Despite these referrals, Morton alleges that the child was not placed in safe care on either occasion.
According to Morton, concerns about the boy were first raised two years ago after a community leader alerted her to his living conditions. She said the child was not receiving prescribed medication and was being neglected while in the care of his mother. The household also includes two younger siblings.
Morton contacted the DSD’s after-hours social work team, who conducted an assessment and then transferred the case to the designated NGO responsible for the area. At the time, Morton believed the matter had been resolved.
However, almost two weeks ago, she was contacted again by the same community leader, who sent her a video showing the boy being assaulted by a man. Morton said she later discovered that the child had been returned to his mother’s care, remained without medication and was frequently roaming the neighbourhood unsupervised.
Morton again alerted DSD’s after-hours team, praising their prompt response to emergency call-outs. Social workers reportedly assessed the household and determined that all three children were at risk due to the state of the home and concerns around the mother’s alleged substance use. The boy was taken to Helderberg Hospital for assessment, accompanied by his mother, while the two siblings were temporarily left in the care of a neighbour.
The case was once more referred to the same NGO. Morton said she followed up with the department and was initially reassured that the children’s safety had been secured.
Later that same evening, however, Morton received another call from the community leader indicating that the children were still at the home. A further intervention followed, during which one of the younger children ran away. Social workers subsequently placed two of the children in safe care and opened a case of abuse and neglect the following morning. The third child was located two days later and also placed in temporary alternative care.
The video that triggered the latest outcry shows the boy being forcibly removed from a home while adults shout at him. The child is visibly distressed while the man in the video can be seen smacking him around. Morton said the boy is well known in the area for pushing a tyre through the streets, a behaviour linked to his disability, and that community members were aware of his condition.
Morton expressed concern about the level of oversight applied to NGOs contracted by DSD, warning that vulnerable children risk falling through the cracks when services are outsourced without sufficient monitoring. She also said she hopes the boy’s mother will open a case against those who assaulted her child.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed that on Thursday, 8 January 2026, Macassar police received a complaint of alleged physical abuse involving a 16-year-old boy with special needs in Ring Avenue.
A case has been registered and transferred to the Khayelitsha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation. No arrests have been made and the matter remains under investigation.
Western Cape Department of Social Development spokesperson Esther Lewis said the department could not comment on the specifics of the case but confirmed that all three children are currently in temporary alternative safe care.
Lewis explained that social work is not legislated as a uniformed service and that public-sector social workers are not legally required to work after hours. To address emergency needs, the department has implemented an after-hours duty roster for child protection matters, which is shared with designated child protection organisations and police stations.
She added that oversight of funded NGOs includes quarterly performance reporting, the submission of audited financial statements and formal complaints mechanisms. Members of the public and activists are encouraged to report concerns directly to the department if they are dissatisfied with services rendered by any funded organisation.
Lewis noted that the rollout of the Social Work Integration Management System (SWIMS) to NGOs is intended to improve case tracking, supervision and accountability, reducing the risk of cases being overlooked.
“Where an NGO is consistently underperforming, we withdraw funding and either appoint another capable organisation or deploy departmental social workers to the area,” Lewis said.
Weekend Argus
