Cape Town - A single mother from Delft is on a quest to restore her child’s hearing after he had his hearing aid stolen from him.
The Delft community have also rallied behind her in her bid to replace the device worth over R100 000.
Gcobisa Merile’s world stood still on May 10, when her deaf son came running home from playing with friends, and told how he was robbed of his hearing aid by an unknown passer-by.
“My son said he felt this unknown man push him, and as he looked up he was running away. It took a moment for my son to register that his hearing aid was stolen. He came running home, confused, trying to explain the story. I immediately reported the matter with police and contacted Tygerberg Hospital where his implant was initially done, and was told that a replacement could cost over R100 000,” she said.
Merile, who is an unemployed single mother, said when her son was born, he had no hearing impairment, it was only when he was 2 years old that she noticed he had lost his hearing.
“At the time Tygerberg Hospital ran an initiative in which 11 deserving children could have a cochlear implant inserted. My son qualified, and I had to pay only R30 000 of the R300 000 operation. The cochlear implant is unaffected but my son cannot hear without the hearing aid,” she said.
Delft Community Police Forum (CPF) spokesperson Charles George said the incident involving Merile’s son’s hearing aid was an eye opener and showed how bad crime had become in Delft.
“Such incidents are sad and just make one wonder why anyone with a brain would steal a hearing aid and want to sell it? The ecosystem of crime is getting out of hand. The spike of crime in Delft keeps advancing and we are currently the number one crime community during load shedding. Perpetrators have used load shedding to commit their crimes and cause havoc for the community.
“We as the CPF have made proposals that have been rejected by the powers that be, and the same proposals are now being used without our involvement as the CPF. The same powers say that fighting crime is everybody’s responsibility, but when making crucial decisions exclude everybody,” he said.
Delft community activist Sisa Makaula said the community were shocked and saddened to hear of the incident and were mobilising one another other for solutions.
Good Samaritans who would like to join the Delft community and Merile’s quest can email the Hear Always Foundation Trust at Tygerberg Hospital on info@haft.co.za. There they can request banking details to donate towards Merile’s son’s hearing
SAPS confirmed a case was opened by Merile.
“This office can confirm that the circumstances surrounding the robbery cited in your enquiry are under investigation. According to the complainant, her 9-year-old son was playing in front of their house in Ivoorhout Street, Delft South, on Wednesday, May 10 at approximately 5pm.
“An unknown male suspect approached the boy and forcefully grabbed his hearing aid and fled the scene on foot. The victim was fortunately not injured. An arrest is yet to be made,” police said.
Anyone with information about the incident is requested to contact Delft police at 021 954 9011 or 082 522 2036 or Crime Stop at 0860 10111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.