By Anita Dangazele
A 12-year-old boy from the small town of Bedford in the Eastern Cape is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot for allegedly stealing nuts.
Olwam Joni’s family said they are afraid that he may not get justice after the man who allegedly shot him was released on bail.
Joni’s mother, Yandiswa, said her son may never be the same again.
“When I left him at the hospital in East London, he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t eat, and he couldn’t move his right side. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to walk again,” she said.
Ndileka Nxamani, who runs an orphanage in Bedford, said the boy with three other boys had gone to “collect” nuts from a house in town.
She said when the owner of the house heard that there were people in his yard he allegedly fired two shots, one in the air and the other towards the boy’s head.
Daniel Botha, a resident who found the boy in a pool of blood, said there were several complaints about the suspect shooting at children.
“My brother and I were driving to a friend’s place when we heard gunshots. My brother noticed that there was a boy lying on the ground. We called out because we could see the man still had the gun in his hand,” Botha said.
Botha said the suspect’s release on bail was shocking as there were several complaints about the man shooting at children.
The suspect has allegedly since left town as he fears for his life.
The incident follows the recent discovery of the mutilated body of a two-year-old in the same area.
Just an hour away, in Stutterheim another toddler was hanged by his mother’s boyfriend last Saturday.
Pictured Above: A crime scene
Image Source: X
