Pretoria – Two children, who were brought back from Brazil last week after their mother was jailed in Portugal on drug related charges, have been placed in foster care.
The Department of Social Development said the mother of the two boys, aged 7 and 13, has two other undocumented children that she brought into the country last year.
The children were born in Brazil and got into the country using Brazilian documents.
They were staying with their maternal family whose sole income was an old age grant.
“A plan of action has been developed to ensure the successful integration and permanent placement of all her four children, guided by the Children’s Act and all the international obligations South Africa has for the protection of children in need of care and support,” the department said in a statement.
The department found that the surname of one of the undocumented minors is the same as that of the “community member” who took the children to the South African consulate in Brazil and reported that they were living on the streets.
It was also discovered that the children were not living on the streets but they were living with a neighbour in Brazil, before being placed in a home by the Brazilian authorities in consultation with the South African government. – SAnews.gov.za
