LITTLE boy accused of theft.
A four-year-old boy was recently found wandering the streets of Daveyton in Ekurhuleni at about 10pm.
Asked why he wasn't home, he told residents he was afraid to go home as his parents had allegedly assaulted him, accusing him of theft.
The residents then accompanied the kid home, where his mum claimed R1 500 was missing and that her son had stolen it.
Seeing burns and wounds on the boy's body, residents called the police.
The mum allegedly confessed to assaulting her son.
The parents, who are Mozambicans, were arrested and appeared in the Daveyton Magistrates Court in April 2025, with another court appearance scheduled for June 2025.
ALSO READ | Man 'kills' ex-lover at workOpens in new window
Community leader Jane Magagula expressed the community's shock and called for a severe sentence.
She questioned the likelihood of a four-year-old kid stealing such a large sum and highlighted neighbours' reports of frequent abuse.
"It's surprising. How can a four-year-old steal such an amount and what is he going to do with the money? We were told by neighbours that the boy was frequently abused by her mother and a stepfather.
"We are not going to allow such things to happen under our watch. We want the parents to be punished. We could see that the boy was abused because he was even nervous around us," she said.
Another concerned resident, Zanele Mahlangu said they want justice for the boy.
"This is not right at all. That boy is going grow up an angry young man. His mother, who is supposed to protect him, is harming him."
Ekurkuleni police spokeswoman Captain Nelda Sekgobela confirmed the arrests.
The kid is now in the care of social workers.
