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- The father of the man accused of trying to kidnap a girl from a restaurant says his son has had a drug problem for many years.
- Ebrahim Slamang says his son Naseem has been in and out of rehab, which has come at great cost to his family.
- Slamang does not believe that his son was part of a human trafficking union, as he had not had contact with anyone.
The father of the man accused of trying to kidnap a 4-year-old girl from a Roodepoort restaurant says his son has been battling drug addiction for many years.
In an interview with Azania Mosaka on Talk Radio 702 on Tuesday, Ebrahim Slamang apologized for his son’s actions and said: “I feel sorry for that girl and her family.
“What he has done was completely wrong. He must pay for it.”
His son, Naseem Slamang, 27, appeared in Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Monday after the dramatic kidnapping attempt. The incident was captured on video and caused a stir on social media.
In the video, two women and a child can be seen sitting at a table on the terrace of Bella Napoli Italian Kitchen in Florida in Roodepoort, Gauteng. Then a man jumps over the railing and lunges towards the boy. One of the women tries to grab the boy from the man’s hands while Dishal Sooku, the restaurant owner, knocks him to the ground.
SEE | Man fell to the ground while trying to kidnap a child at Roodepoort restaurant
Slamang has been charged with assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury, attempted kidnapping and common battery.
According to Ebrahim Slamang, his son had been acting strange on the day of the incident.
“He already acted badly at home,” Slamang told Mosaka.
After being in drug rehab for about a year and disappearing for a few days, Naseem was home on the day of the incident. She lives with her father, her paternal aunt and her husband.
Not part of a union
“I went after him, but they stopped me and told me to let him go. He was almost hit by a car and then he ran to this place (the restaurant). On his way to this place there was another incident that happened. There is a case for that. “.
Ebrahim told Mosaka that her son was not part of a human trafficking union, as speculated on social media.
“I know [he’s not part of] a union because I didn’t have time, I didn’t even have a phone, so there was no communication with anyone to [indicate] that there was a union. “
On Tuesday, national police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo also dispelled rumors that a human trafficking union was operating in South Africa.
“While the suspect was charged with assault with the intent to cause serious bodily harm and this was not a case of human trafficking, this has been a reminder to both the authorities and all the inhabitants of this country of the level of vigilance that we need to employ to make sure people are and feel safe, “Naidoo said.
READ ALSO | The incident of the robbery of a child in a restaurant is not related to human trafficking: police
Cost to the family
Ebrahim told Mosaka that his family had suffered greatly due to his son’s drug addiction.
“My other two kids are really mad at me because I had to bear the costs of this, I had to pay for rehab, so I couldn’t give them what they really needed because I always had to take care of [Naseem’s] needs.
“I don’t even know what to say anymore. We did our best. I don’t know how many rehab centers he’s been to.”
Naseem’s mother died when he was 10 years old, which had a profound effect on him, his father said. “Also, a few years ago, he had a girlfriend but they broke up and she was with another boy. She also passed away.”
Ebrahim believes that these events may have triggered his son’s drug addiction.
“He already started school. I took him to counseling on Saturdays and then just [went] one’s [institution] for the other.”
She said her son would return from rehab but would relapse in a few months.
“It has been a very difficult situation for us.”
Naseem Slamang will appear again in Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Thursday.
– Compiled by Riaan Grobler
