Police and social development officials are investigating a case of abuse against a 16-year-old boy with disabilities in Macassar, Western Cape, after a disturbing video went viral online. Picture Credit: Mission Prep Healthcare
By Aisha Zardad
Macassar, Western Cape – Public outrage has surged in Macassar, Western Cape, after a disturbing video showing the physical abuse of a 16‑year‑old boy with intellectual and physical disabilities circulated on social media, prompting calls for accountability and an investigation into child protection failures.
The footage, which quickly spread online, appears to show the teenager being manhandled and struck by a man while visibly distressed. Community members recognised the boy, who is known locally for pushing a tyre through the streets — a behaviour linked to his disabilities.
Police confirmed that on 8 January 2026, Macassar police received a complaint of alleged physical abuse involving a 16‑year‑old boy with special needs on Ring Avenue. A case of assault has been registered and transferred to the Khayelitsha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation. No arrests have been made yet.
Activists and community members have criticised what they see as a breakdown in the child protection system, especially regarding the oversight of non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) contracted by the Department of Social Development (DSD) to provide protective services to at‑risk children.
Local activist Zona Morton said the teenager had been identified as at risk two years earlier and referred multiple times to Child Welfare South Africa, the official NGO responsible for the Macassar area, yet was never placed in safe care. Morton said that on a prior assessment the boy was not receiving prescribed medication and was neglected in his mother’s care, which also included his two younger siblings. After the most recent incident, the DSD’s after‑hours social work team found all three children at risk and moved them into temporary alternative safe care.
Morton stressed that the video highlights serious gaps in supervision and follow‑up, warning that vulnerable children can “fall through the cracks” when protective services are outsourced without adequate monitoring. She also expressed hope that the boy’s mother will pursue charges against the individual seen assaulting her child.
Western Cape Department of Social Development spokesperson Esther Lewis said the department could not comment on specific case details but confirmed that all three children are currently in temporary safe care. She explained that social workers are not legally required to work after hours, which is why an after‑hours duty roster with NGOs and police stations exists for emergencies.
Lewis added that oversight of funded NGOs includes quarterly performance reports, audited financial statements and formal complaints mechanisms, and that consistent underperformance can lead to funding withdrawal or the deployment of departmental social workers. She also highlighted the rollout of the Social Work Integration Management System (SWIMS), designed to improve case tracking, supervision and accountability.
