Author Topic: South African family isolated for 20 years - 'gunting' lanugage (Read 645 times)

Saurdaukar · « **on:** February 19, 2004, 08:45:04 AM »

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,6119,2-7-1442_1485204,00.html

Family lives alone for 20 yrs
17/02/2004 22:39 - (SA)

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This corrugated-iron shack on an isolated cattle post has been home for the past 20 years to a family who has had no other human contact. (Tom de Wet, Volksblad)

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Father: I failed my children

Tom de Wet

Theunissen - Cut off from the rest of the world, with only veld and animals for company, a husband and wife and their four children have spent the past 20 years all alone on a remote Free State farm.

The four children - aged 26, 22, 18 and 14 - have never had contact with the outside world and their behaviour is so animalistic they can't even communicate in an understandable language. One of them walks on all fours, almost like a monkey.

An assortment of healthcare experts have been ordered by the Free State department of health to assess the woman and her children, who are now in the care of the state.

The team has also been ordered to make suggestions about the family's future.

If people came to the farm, the children took to the hills and returned only once the visitors had left.

None of them can speak a recognisable language

One of the boys walks on all fours just like a monkey and neither the mother nor her children are able to speak a recognisable language.

They communicate with each other and with the father in sign language and noises.

Home is a corrugated-iron shack, but the oldest son has never slept indoors with the others. He has always slept in the open.

Home to the mother and her children for now is Bongani Hospital in Welkom and, according to Ouma Tsopo, the Free State's MEC for health, a decision on the family's future will be made once they have been assessed by the team of doctors.

She said the move had been extremely traumatic for the children, but that everything would be done to reunite them as a family.

Tsietsie Mapisa, chairperson of the community policing forum in Theunissen, heard about the family and sought help for them. He said the forum was looking for a home for them.

He feels, however, that the family needs to remain in Oranje Hospital in Bloemfontein for a few months to learn social skills. He said if this was not done they would run away.

Mapisa said a district health nurse first heard about the family. He went to investigate and called in the welfare department and the police.

Bathed and given clothes

He said authorities had had to wait until dark and the children were in the shack before they could move the family. They gave the children bread and chips to calm them down.

They were taken to Theunissen where they were bathed and given clothes.

Sello Majola, the children's father, is the only person who had contact with the outside world. He is also the only one who can speak a language.

He said his children were not born this way, but became so because they did not "follow the same religious path as the Majola tribe".

Russian · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2004, 10:44:12 AM »

Why disturb them? Just leave family alone.

ra · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2004, 10:49:39 AM »

Sounds like he raised his kids like livestock. The story doesn't explain why his wife can't talk.

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2004, 11:03:30 AM »

It's just like with pets. If you don't socialize them early in life, their brains "harden" and they are never going to behave normally.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2004, 02:40:58 PM »

Hey, if they are enjoying themselves, just let them be.

Stringer · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2004, 02:43:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by FUNKED1
It's just like with pets. If you don't socialize them early in life, their brains "harden" and they are never going to behave normally.

FDB's?

mietla · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2004, 02:46:15 PM »

No, you can pet an FDB. They even purr when you do it.

LWACE · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2004, 12:54:24 AM »

yea its sad, but if theyve been that way that long, id say leave em be to, they are to far use to it by now, why ruin their life with all the "normal" stuff.

vorticon · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:31:25 AM »

leave em be...bringing them into the "normal" world would be like catching a wolf and putting it on a sled-dog team...it wont work and chances are they'll be worse off because of it

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:38:37 AM »

Why does the government need to rescue them? They seem to be living fine all bystmeslves for so long and it doesnt say they are disturbing anyone.

Seraphim · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:54:29 AM »

Because Govt knows whats best for us. They should tell us what to think too.

jigsaw · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2004, 06:40:02 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Seraphim
Because Govt knows whats best for us. They should tell us what to think too.

Taking a History class this semester that's covering U.S. from pre colonization up to 2002. I don't know if I just didn't realize it when I was younger or what, but man our government has pulled a lot of really f***ed up stuff.

Few years ago I got on a kick about researching my ancestry (part Chickasaw)...was reading "Trail of Tears." Could only read 10 pages or so at a time before I'd get so pissed off I had to put the book down.

Pongo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2004, 10:34:09 AM »

Um
your probably sentencing the girl to a life of incest not to mention what you are doing to her offspring.

Thrawn · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2004, 10:55:35 AM »

So their government doesn't know what's best for these people but you guys do?

And before you say, no the parents know what's best, I certainly think it's been demostrated that no...they don't.

Tarmac · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2004, 10:58:12 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Thrawn
I certainly think it's been demostrated that no...they don't.

And what subjective value judgement did you base that statement on?