ON THE outside it looks like a church. But hidden behind the walls lay an unholy horror.
Inside the building lived about 40 boys aged between 10 and 17 who had allegedly been kidnapped by a man.
THEY WERE TRAPPED FOR MONTHS AND ATE ONLY DRY BREAD AND DRANK COKE!
The boys lived in a classroom set up in a building in Jeppestown, Joburg, without mattresses or blankets. They slept on chairs scattered around the building. For four months, they ate nothing but four slices of dry bread every day and shared one 2-litre bottle of Coca-Cola between them.
The boys were found in an exhausted and malnourished condition and looked confused and lost.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, Social Development Minister Susan Shabangu and MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane were at the raid on Thursday.
Bheki Cele’s spokeswoman, Reneilwe Serero, told Daily Sun the children’s parents were told that their kids were being selected to play for a soccer academy.
They were promised they would be playing for big clubs like Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. However, Serero said this was far from the truth. “The children were packed into that building like sardines.”
Serero claims parents were made to pay amounts of R2 500 and R3 500 for the so called soccer academy. “The largest amount paid was R15 000.
“These parents were sending money for their children and didn’t know they were being treated like this.”
The youngest, a boy of 10, was crying uncontrollably when the raid was conducted.
“He just wanted to go home,” she said.
According to Serero, the boys were from KwaZulu-Natal, with one boy allegedly from Botswana. All the boys were minors.
“Some of the boys were taken to Nkosi-Malobane’s house where they stayed the night.” Serero told the SunTeam they were contacting the boys’ parents. A man that was arrested had three outstanding arrest warrants in KZN.
The suspect was charged with one case of rape.
He appeared in court on Friday and is still in custody.
Serero said the children were allegedly there with the consent of their parents. She said the police are investigating the validity and conditions of the consent forms.
Further charges may be added after investigation.
At this stage there is only one suspect but the raid was part of a series, as it is suspected that similar activities may be taking place elsewhere.
