Top minister's daughter in assault uproar

The daughter of senior cabinet minister Susan Shabangu has been suspended from her job as a youth-care worker pending an investigation into whether she struck a 10-year-old girl with a belt.

Shirley Shabangu's lawyer, Themba Langa, said she was being victimised by her employer, Gauteng's department of social services, because she was the child of a minister.

Her mother is the minister in the Presidency responsible for women.

Shabangu, who is in her 20s, worked at an East Rand place of safety for abused or neglected children and allegedly hit the child with a belt after some of the children had made a noise while she was sleeping.

The police have confirmed that they are investigating a case of common assault against Shabangu and the department is conducting a disciplinary hearing into the incident, which took place in February. Shabangu faces a charge of misconduct and sleeping on duty.

On Friday, Langa said there was no "serious evidence" and accused the department of dragging its heels in wrapping up its investigation.

''The officials have vowed to deal with Shirley to show her that the fact that she is the minister's daughter would not provide her with protection," said Langa.

He said the outcome of the disciplinary hearing would determine whether there was a criminal case to answer.

In addition, he said, judicial officials were refusing to allow Shabangu's legal team to "cross-examine the child, simply because it will be vigorous and not in the child's best interest to be engaged in formal proceedings".

The allegation against Shabangu surfaced after the father of the girl who was allegedly beaten visited her at the home in Boksburg and noticed bruising on her legs and thighs.

Social services and the police have taken statements from at least two other children in connection with the incident.

The department of social development confirmed that Shabangu had been placed on suspension pending the outcome of an internal hearing.

Spokesman Sello Mokoena said the department was dealing with the matter in terms of its disciplinary code.

''The fact that the employee is the minister's daughter is immaterial. Such proceedings are confidential and therefore the merits of the case cannot be discussed," he said.

Mokoena said the only delays in the hearing had been caused by Shabangu herself - once because she was writing exams and once because she had been ill. ''The disciplinary process is scheduled to continue before the end of August," he said.

The case has caused concern among judicial officers in the East Rand magisterial district who send children at risk to the centre in Boksburg.

''We are the ones who send the children there. These are vulnerable children and that is the only home in the East Rand," said a senior judicial officer.

''We have a duty to inform our colleagues and social workers who have sent children there. They are taken out of unsafe environments and put in places of safety. We have to protect them and we have a duty to report any abuse."

A senior court official said initially it had been decided to remove the affected children from the home, but the department of social development had ruled against doing this.

''They said it was unfair to move the children because they were vulnerable and had nowhere else to go."

Instead, it was decided that Shabangu be removed pending the investigation's outcome.

''I'm so glad this has finally come out. This type of behaviour is unacceptable. Even if the criminal case fails, this woman needs to be hauled before an inquiry to examine whether she is fit to work with children," said the official.

The Sunday Times has established that according to statements from the children, ''Aunty Shirley" had been napping and lashed out at some children because they were making a noise.

The senior court official said: "At this stage, there is an informal decision to prosecute, but outstanding evidence needs to be gathered before she can be formally charged."

Vincentia Dlamini-Ngobese, spokeswoman for Women and Men Against Child Abuse, said the incident was disturbing in view of indications that the home had failed to report it to the police.

''This is a place that is supposed to safeguard children. You can't wait for a parent to complain before you do something. An internal investigation is not enough."

laganparsadm@sundaytimes.co.za