The child who was forced to drink alcohol in Tafelsig has been removed from his family and placed in safety.
A video of the incident, where a little boy who looks a little older than a toddler, was forced to drink beer, went viral on social media.
While the video caused almost unanimous outrage online, it also caused activist and whistleblower Zona Morton to mobilise.
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Nearly a day after Morton first contacted police about the incident, the child and three others, including a seven-month-old baby, were removed from their Tafelsig home.
But Morton is not happy with the police’s response to the situation.
“My problem is the systemic failure of the police to act when child abuse is reported,” Morton said. “My fight is to bring about change and that the police do their work. That’s my fight for the rest of my life.”
Morton, who has worked with police and the defence force with the monitoring of police brutality, children in custody, children in conflict with the law, and who cannot disclose her location because of her vulnerabilty as a known whistle blower, said she needed to call the police multiple times and despite officers visiting the house twice, they could not confirm if the child in the video was safe.
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“We could have picked up a body. I mean, there was a seven-month-old baby also in the house,“ Morton said.
Community activist Lynn Philips of the Mitchell’s Plain Safety Forum assisted Morton in locating the family and contacting the police.
“When it comes to minor children, we are not taking it lightly. We want to condemn any act of violence or anything against minor children,” Phillips said. “We can’t tolerate a situation where minor children are being fed with alcohol and if you look at Mitchell’s Plain, with the current crime situation, this is a serious problem for us.”
Children removed
According to provincial police spokesperson, Capt FC van Wyk, a case of child abuse was registered and transferred to the Mitchell’s Plain Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS).
“Four children aged between seven months and 11 years old were removed by personnel attached to the Department of Social Development (DSD) and placed in the care of safety parents. These kids were also taken to Thuthuzela Centre for medical examination,” Van Wyk said.
DSD spokesperson Esther Lewis confirmed this.
“DSD social workers responded early yesterday (Thursday) morning. The children have been safeguarded as the child protection investigation unfolds,” Lewis said.
Lewis added that the department has seen an increase in cases of children needing protection.
“There has been a general increase in the number of children in need of care and protection. In 2023, there were just over 39 000 children in foster care in the province. That number has increased to more than 43 000 in 2025.”
She also warned that the negative effects of alcohol on children’s development can become permanent.
“The Department is deeply concerned by this type of behaviour, where adults allow children to consume and handle alcohol. The effects of alcohol on children can be serious and lifelong. Alcohol consumption can impact brain development and can lead to emotional and behavioural issues.
“If people know of instances where adults allow children to consume alcohol, they should report it to their nearest DSD office, designated child protection organisation, or the police. With the festive season starting, we urge all adults to act responsibly while caring for children,” she said.
