The Department of Social Development (DSD) managed to repatriate a two-year-old child born from a South African mom serving time for drug trafficking at a prison in Dakar, Senegal. The social workers arrived at OR Tambo International Airport who will be handed over to their grandmother in the Eastern Cape.

Since 2015, the department has repatriated 21 children in distress in foreign countries.#DSDSenegalBaby#Childprotection365@OfficialSASSA @nda_rsa pic.twitter.com/RAMmauOAsd

— Social Development (@The_DSD) March 11, 2024

DSD spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said the department was notified about the baby the Department of International Relations through its international social services directorate in August last year about the mother's arrest. "The department is obligated by Section 7 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005 that a child needs to maintain a connection with their family, extended family, culture and all decisions must be made in the best interest of the child," Oliphant said. The mother nominated the grandmother of the child as the guardian in the country while she serves her sentence in the West African country. "The national department of social development then requested the Eastern Cape department of social development to investigate the circumstances of the nominated foster parent to assess suitability to care for the child. The child will be integrated with the mother's family in the Eastern Cape and the department will continue providing child protection services and provide support to the family," Oliphant said.

Social Development Minister (DSD) Lindiwe Zulu said the department will always put the best interest of the child first, however, they remain concerned about the issue of drugs and what it can do to children. The mother was pregnant when she was arrested in Senegal. "This was an unborn baby who ended up in distress in a foreign country because the mother was arrested for trafficking drugs. We cannot stress more the importance of young people to make the right decisions about their lives," she said. Since 2015, the department says it has repatriated 21 children in distress in foreign countries with three from Brazil, 2 each in Malawi, Mozambique, Canada, Tanzania, 1 each in Ghana, Senegal, Mauritius, UK, Peru while the department repatriated seven children in 7 in Zimbabwe.