3 days ago
From desperation to tragedy: What drives mothers to sell their children?
JOHANNESBURG – Just a week after Kelly Smith was sentenced to life in prison for selling her daughter, another mother is on trial for allegedly selling her child to a sangoma.
These back-to-back cases have sparked outrage and deep reflection, with many asking: What kind of society are we becoming?
In the South African Morning question on Thursday, eNCA asked: 'What do these and other similar cases say about us as a society, where mothers become so desperate that they sell their children?'
The responses reflected the mix of shock, sorrow and frustration.
Viewer @Gabojust wrote: 'A multifaceted approach is needed, including strong legal sentences, increased awareness and education, and support for families facing financial hardship. Again, more needs to be done to address the root causes and prevent such situations.'
Another, @Tsolobentonga, said: 'Totally barbarity, inhumane for a mother to do this to her child. we can't be blaming Poverty and Unemployment on this, people grow up just fine and become great in poverty-stricken circumstances. Government must also take these Sangomas to task …'
Others expressed anger at what seems to be a growing pattern.
"This is so frustrating and terribly shocking, even though it's hard to control someone's mindset from making such a horrible decision. I rather think both the seller and buyer should be arrested then be dealt with harshly or be given the worst available sentence, especially if the victim is already killed." @Walto Muharukua
'South Africa is a lawless society with an ineffective judiciary as well so the criminals are aware that they will seldom be held accountable so commit crimes unhindered,' commented @Marilyn Forster-Towne.
One viewer summed it up plainly: 'It is a direct sign of failure of government. Due to poor policies, the economy has shrunk, more people are jobless. Cost of living rising. They made people survive on grants that can not cover the basic cost of living. For example, the child grant is not enough to feed a child for a week. People are left in despair.' @Werner van der Merwe
The question still lingers: What drives mothers to sell their children?
