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MUM GIVES UNWANTED CHILDREN UP FOR ADOPTION

19/09/2020 07:35:00 BY Zwelakhe Moahloli

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MBABANE – Some would have killed them, but a woman has opted to give her children up for adoption.

The married woman, *Zinhle, has resolved to give up her children, two boys, from previous relationships, because her in-laws allegedly do not want them.

Zinhle said all was well until the boys, aged nine and 12, came to live with her and her husband, *Sifiso.

The couple resides at the husband’s parental homestead at Mgamudze, under the Matsanjeni South Inkhundla in the Shiselweni Region.

Zinhle explained that the boys were, until recently, living with their respective fathers. “Unfortunately, both fathers have since passed away. The family of the nine year-old did not want my son to stay with them. Also, the 12 year-old was recently brought to me by police after running away from home.

Abused

“He decided to stay in the bushes because he was abused by his stepmother,” Zinhle alleged.

Zinhle, who has three children with her husband, said Sifiso’s parents told her that the boys were not welcome at their homestead.

She alleged that the in-laws would hurl insults at the children every time they came across them in the yard. “These children are old enough to understand some of the insults. So, in most instances the children hide every time they see my mother-in-law or father-in-law,” she alleged.

Zinhle said Sifiso did not have a problem with the children coming to stay with them. She said he was aware that she had children from previous relationships.

Zinhle said the husband was very supportive. “Even though he does not earn much, he takes care of all the children,” she added.

worrisome

What was worrisome, Zinhle said, was that the in-laws accused the children of being a financial drain to her husband.

“But he has never complained. Also, it’s not like we are getting any support from my in-laws to feed my children. The only support is the homestead,” she said.

Asked why they were not moving out of the in-laws’ homestead to establish their own, Zinhle said they were planning to do so. However, she said they were being held back by financial constraints to acquire land through kukhonta process.

Kukhonta is the process of acquiring land on Swazi Nation Land. Usually, the potential land owner has to pay a cow to the authorities for a portion of land.

Zinhle explained that they did not have money or a cow to acquire the land.

“If I had an option, I was going to take it. I know you will ask me why I am not taking the children to my parental home; I’m an orphan. Most of my siblings are dead. The only brother I have is just 20 years-old and I cannot burden him with my children.

“Besides, he is also struggling to make ends meet. In a nutshell, I do not have anyone to take care of the children. That is why I want to give them up for adoption,” she said.

The 35-year-old Zinhle stressed that adoption was the only solution at the moment. She said she had informed the area’s caregiver (umnakekeli) about her predicament.

Her husband concurred that they were facing challenges regarding the children. He said his wife had informed him about giving up the boys for adoption because of the prevailing situation.

“My parents do not want the children in their homestead. I have tried to reason with them, but they do not want to hear anything,” he alleged.

Sifiso pointed out that he did not have a problem with taking care of the children.

He said he regarded the two boys as his. “My wife expressed a wish that the children should be removed from the homestead. There is no peace here,” he said.

Sifiso said they had spoken about the adoption and he was not against the decision because they were faced with financial problems.

“I believe it is the best option because one can end up saying nasty things to the elders,” he said.

The 40-year-old Sifiso said if finances were permitting, he would have long acquired land to build his own homestead.

At the moment he said he was working at a farm, herding cattle. Sifiso’s parents could not be reached for comment.

caregiver

The area’s caregiver, confirmed that she was approached by Zinhle regarding the predicament.

Last week, it was reported that a 28-year-old woman allegedly poisoned her one-year-old twins.

The woman, Nobuhle Sarah Malindzisa, is alleged to have forced the twins to ingest weevil tablets.

According to Nobuhle’s uncle Borman Malindzisa, the family believed that she might have been struggling to raise the children alone after being dumped by the toddlers’ father.

In another incident, Eswatini News reported that a woman, who was on her way to visit a boyfriend allegedly brutally killed her daughter and subsequently drank her blood.

Worth noting is that the killed child was not the boyfriend’s daughter.

Narrating events leading to the incident, Sizakele said the day before she allegedly committed the crime, she had received maintenance money from her baby daddy.

After getting the money, Sizakele said she then decided to visit her boyfriend who resides in Mbabane.

Along the way to the bus stop while passing through a forest, she alleged that her subconscious mind told her to kill the baby.

Sizakele alleged that she first strangulated the child for about two minutes.

*Not real names.