The Sunday News
Nozibelo Maphosa, Sunday News Reporter
A woman from Cowdray Park in Bulawayo allegedly locked her mentally unstable grandson in their house for two months when she left for South Africa.
A Sunday News crew visited the house last week where they observed that although the gate was not locked, the grandson Nkosilathi Sebele (31) was locked indoors. A neighbour who only identified herself as Ms Sipho Sibanda said sometime in February, Nkosilathi’s grandmother Mrs Ida Sebele, allegedly went to South Africa leaving Nkosilathi alone and locked inside the house.
“This is not the first time Nkosilathi has been left alone, his grandmother once left him last year, but it was only for a week.
She went to South Africa for two months, she left him alone, she didn’t ask us to look after him because she did not say anything to us,” said Ms Sibanda.
Ms Sibanda said she was not aware that Nkosilathi had been alone in the house until a relative visited the house three weeks ago.
“His uncle came three weeks ago when he heard from people that his nephew was locked inside the house, that’s how we came to know that Nkosilathi was lone. We used to see a woman who would come every two weeks with groceries since his grandmother went to South Africa, but she never spoke to us,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said after learning that Nkosilathi was alone they were now communicating with him although he could not come out as he is still locked inside.
“From that point we started looking after Nkosilathi, the sad part is that we are not always around hence he cannot count on us, but he told us that he once had a running stomach for two weeks and he also said sometimes he cannot cook food. Asked why his grandmother locked him inside, Nkosilathi said it was because he used to run away.
“My grandmother locks me up because last time I ran away, I wanted to go to the airport,” he said. Sunday News also managed to talk Nkosilathi’s uncle, Mr Danisiwe Ngwenya who said he was concerned about the treatment his nephew was being exposed to.
“When I found out that Nkosilathi was caged in his grandmother’s house, I felt pity for him. What kind of a person locks away a mentally disturbed person and leaves him alone? My worry mostly is who cooks for him, then who gives him his medication?” said Mr Ngwenya.
