Zuko Komisa

A five-year-old girl is being sent back to South Africa after being born in a Mauritius prison. The Department of Social Development has shared that she is one of 24 children repatriated in the past ten years.
The mother of the child was reportedly imprisoned in Mauritius in 2019 on suspicion of narcotics trafficking. According to the department, the mother of three discovered she was pregnant while incarcerated.
Since birth, her daughter has lived with her in prison. However, since children are only permitted to remain with their moms in prison until they are five, Mauritius law has mandated that she must now leave the facility.
We are on Day 2 of the repatriation of the child from Mauritius today. We will be visiting the ECD facility (creche) that she attended as the process to bid farewell to Mauritius nears conclusion for her. #repatriatiofromMauritius@The_DSD @Ma_Lunga @GovernmentZA
— Bathembu (@bfutsh) December 11, 2024
According to Bathembu Futshane, the department spokesperson, a South African delegation plans to return the child to South Africa on Friday.
“If the child is not repatriated to South Africa, she may be placed in the Mauritian welfare system, which will not be in her best interests and may complicate her chances of being united with her South African family,”
“The department has assessed the nominated grandmother, who lives in the North West, and found her to be a suitable caregiver. The grandmother has agreed to look after the child until the mother is released,” said Futshane.
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