Activists’ swift action saves boy (4) from drug abuse

MOM ARRESTED

- MONISHKA GOVENDER [e-mail]

PASTOR Kurt van Heerden, a Johannesburg drug activist, is difficult to get a hold of.

“I am always called everywhere when there are drug issues, so I am often on the road or in communities,” he told the POST this week.

So when a 4-year-old boy was seen on a video on social media lighting what was believed to be a mandrax-laced pipe, being coached to smoke it, and inhaling two puffs, Van Heerden and three colleagues from the Institution of Grace acted fast.

They rescued the child; and his mother and three co-accused were subsequently arrested and are facing charges of attempted murder, child abuse and child neglect.

The case, heard in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, was adjourned to tomorrow (Thursday).

“The postponement is to allow for verification of the accused’s alternative residential addresses, as the investigating officer reported that the provided addresses were inaccessible during a recent visit,” NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane explained.

Van Heerden, the CEO and founder of the Institution of Grace, a restoration centre, has dedicated 10 years to helping individuals and families struggling to break the cycle of drug addiction.

When he arrived at the child’s home, after being tipped off by community members, Van Heerden said in a video posted online that the boy was taken by his granny to a clinic, and he and his team followed them.

The boy’s father had proceeded to open a police case.

“Luckily the child’s health is intact. He's healthy,” Van Heerden said in the video.

“He's at a safe place. We journeyed through the devastating aftermath with the father and grandmother, as we will continue to be of support for the coming days.”

He said the child undergoing treatment.