A South African man has been arrested after he flung his child from the roof of his shack while resisting the demolition of the structure, reports Herald Live.
The scenario played out in Joe Slovo informal settlement in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, when police and members of the municipality were demolishing shacks built on municipal land.
The father threw his toddler from the roof of the shack to shocked screams from those around. His actions followed a tense standoff during which an officer had moments earlier, tried to negotiate with the man.
After a frenetic rooftop scuffle with police, the 38-year-old man was overpowered, arrested and charged later with attempted murder.
Thankfully, the police deftly caught the smiling toddler who seemed unaware of the danger.
The man had been clutching his baby daughter to his chest on his corrugated iron rooftop amid a heavy police presence in the area to safeguard the process as the SAPS, metro police and municipal officials started demolishing shacks built on illegally occupied municipal land.
The father, with the assistance of a 35-year-old woman identified as the toddler’s mother, had climbed onto the roof of the last shack still standing with his child after about 150 residents had urged him to do so, some chanting: “They will do nothing to it [shack].”
The man was then arrested.
Port Elizabeth police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said social workers would be called in.
“Currently, the baby is still with the police. We will be getting social workers to deal with the matter,” he said.
More followed when a mob from the Joe Slovo informal settlement, near KwaDwesi, tried later to burn down the house of a councillor whose wife and two children were trapped inside, but dispersed when police were alerted.
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