“The Guard Deserves a Raise”: Security Guard Remains With 6-Year-Olds Stranded at School, SA Moved

• Two six-year-old learners were left stranded for over five hours at Hayfields Primary School after their mother did not show up
• A security guard remained with them at school until 18:00 before a resident, and an off-duty police officer stepped in to help the abandoned children
• Outraged South Africans are praising the school guard as a hero while calling for the mother to face negligence charges

A shocking case of parental neglect has sparked outrage after two young children were taken to the police station in Pietermaritzburg, before a family member could fetch them. The incident was shared on Facebook by user God's Warehouse on 21 May 2026, detailing that the learners were sitting outside, despite the school day having ended by 12:30.

An off-duty police officer and his wife, who were out walking, also noticed the children and stopped to investigate. Upon calling the mother, they were met with hostility; the mother said her car had broken down hours earlier. Facebook user God’s Warehouse noted that the mother became highly aggressive and told the people to mind their own business rather than showing concern for her children.

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Local heroes step up to help the children

Recognising the severe danger the frightened, hungry, and exhausted children were in, the local community immediately stepped up to fill the parental void. The school's security guard stayed past the end of his shift to watch over the children, ultimately missing his own transport home before Mi7 security arrived to safely drive him into town.

The young children were then taken to Alexandra SAPS, stopping along the way at Roman’s Pizza Hayfields, where the owner, Deon, kindly sponsored free meals. At the police station, a horrified uncle eventually arrived to take custody of the children, unaware that they had been left stranded for over five hours.

See the Facebook post below:

Mzansi is disappointed by the mother’s neglect

The news unsettled many social media users, who were disappointed by the mother’s negligent behaviour. They called for social workers to open a case against her, saying her arrogant response when she was called showed a lack of care. Others said the security guard was an asset to the school and jokingly said he should get a raise.

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User @Martha Matiso shared:

"The parent can be charged with negligence. A social worker must activate a Form 22."

User @Di Webber commented:

"Well done to all involved! The security guard should not have total responsibility for the children left at school till late. By 5 pm, at the latest, the principal should be informed, who then should deal with the parent and the safety of the children."

User @Munerah Davids said:

"The guard deserves a raise. Well done, my brother, I salute you. You are what we call a leader, because you could have taken your bag and gone home, but instead, you protected those little ones. As for the mother, lock her up."

User @Nivian Munsami shared:

"Hope that the mother is charged."

3 Briefly News articles about children

• An energetic toddler joined two domestic workers dancing to Amapiano sound during their lunch break, leaving Mzansi entertained by his cute moves.
• An English mother explained that she has to use multiple languages, including Xhosa, to manage her children when they start misbehaving, leaving social media users in stitches.
• Four-year-old Zuluboy argued that Sjava was singing the lyrics of his song Mbayimbayi wrong, and explained to his mom what the logical words should be.

Source: Briefly News