Durban — Over a year since the death of her baby, who died from injuries she believes he sustained while at crèche, a KwaMashu mom is yet to see justice and any progress in the investigation.
According to Pinky Ngcobo, her 9-month-old son, Nkanyezi, died from a severe head injury and bleeding in the brain – an injury she was convinced he sustained at a crèche in KwaMashu.
Nkanyezi was taken off life support machines after failing to wake from an induced coma on Valentine’s Day in 2022.
Last June when the Daily News reported on the matter police said they were investigating an inquest docket and investigations were ongoing. At the time Ngcobo said the indication from the investigating officer was that he was waiting for the post-mortem.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Ngcobo said last Thursday she had been in contact with the investigating officer and they had a lengthy conversation.
“There’s nothing, there’s no progress. The investigating officer said he was still waiting for the post-mortem report. He said the report would help move the investigation forward.”
The mother said having no progress on the case, and for police to still be looking at an inquest instead of a murder or a culpable homicide case, was making her lose hope.
“I am thinking of returning to the hospital where he was treated, to speak to the consultants there as well as the doctor who treated him to see if there’s nothing that can be done on their side, if they can’t intervene so we get this post-mortem report and the inquest can be changed to murder. This is all so exhausting and draining to have to fight for justice.”
According to Ngcobo, baby Nkanyezi came home from crèche one day with a bruise on his forehead markings that indicated that he had fallen on gravel. However, when she enquired from the crèche, she was told he had fallen onto a sofa.
She said the following day when the baby returned from crèche there seemed to be something wrong – he was not standing, not playing, and almost seemed vegetable-like.
Ngcobo said when she questioned the crèche owner, she said the child had a fever and convinced her to bring the child back the next day, assuring her that should he worsen she would take him to the clinic.
Ngcobo said it was alleged that the next day the crèche owner gave the child Disprin and soon after he collapsed.
Yesterday, KwaZulu-Natal police were sent a query with specific questions on the progress of the investigation, but they were yet to respond.
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