Disabled child sent home with mystery burns
A Cofimvaba family who waited six years for their 16-year-old mentally challenged daughter to be enrolled at a special needs school were overjoyed when she was finally accepted at Khanyisa Special School in Cala in January.
However, their joy turned to misery when, on February 20, they received a call from the school’s hostel telling them to fetch her as there had been a “chicken pox outbreak”.
But to the family’s surprise, they found Onele Mnamatha bandaged from her chest down to her ankles.
While the school maintains Onele was one of pupils who had chicken pox, a doctor’s report seen by the Daily Dispatch states that the pupil had sustained second-degree burns on her torso, buttocks and thighs.
Five months after the incident, the Mnamatha family say they were still seeking answers as to what “really” happened to their daughter.
Onele’s aunt, Nolubabalo Mnamatha, said the family does not believe the school’s version that it was chicken-pox that caused the injuries.
“Even though her speech was a bit impaired, when we brought her home she kept on saying ‘amanzi abilileyo’ [boiled water] when she points at her scars,” said Mnamatha.
Mnamatha said on the first night she was home, Onele was in severe pain and was unable to sleep.
“We took her to the clinic the next morning, where it was confirmed that she had burn injuries. At the clinic they dressed her wounds and, on March 1, we decided to call an ambulance because she was in severe pain,” she said.
Onele was admitted at Comfimvaba Hospital, where she spent almost three weeks, Mnamatha said.
Mnamatha said to date they have not heard a word from the department of education.
When contacted yesterday, school principal Mzolisi Luzombe stuck to the chicken pox story.
“She [Onele] and two other pupils were affected. She had blisters and was treated by the nurses on site, and they confirmed it was chicken pox.
“We took her to hospital but she was not admitted because we were short of support staff to escort her. We then called her parents,” said Luzombe.
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said they were unaware of the incident. Mtima said the rapid response unit would be sent to the school to ascertain facts.