Johannesburg couple Warren and Chantelle Ellie find themselves grappling with the loss of their seven children—a situation they never anticipated after being acquitted of an assault charge in 2022. Their arrest, though ultimately resolved, led to dramatic repercussions that unravelled their family dynamic and left them struggling against the Gauteng Department of Social Development.
The day of their arrest marked the start of a nightmarish journey for the Ellies. Following the incident, which saw Chantelle briefly detained with their youngest child, authorities intervened and determined that their living conditions were unsuitable for raising their children. Consequently, all seven were placed in the Johannesburg Children’s Home, a decision that has proved devastating for the couple.
“How can a mother sleep at night knowing that their children are out there somewhere in a facility?” a tearful Chantelle asked.
“You wonder if they are safe, what they eat. This is painful; now my blood pressure is always high. I’ve been diagnosed with bronchitis; I am a mess now. I just want my children back.”
The Ellies, both unemployed, have grappled with erratic living conditions, constantly moving from one rented room to another. In court, social workers supporting the Department of Social Development argued that this instability rendered them incapable of providing a proper environment for their children. As a result, the children, all under the age of 16, remain in institutional care, allowed only one hour of visitation per week.
“How do you even begin to catch up with seven children in one hour? It’s impossible,” lamented Chantelle.
“We visit them every Thursday, but it’s really difficult. That’s why we have been fighting for home visits—to see them more.”
The emotional toll on the couple is compounded by their anxiety over the wellbeing of their children at the home. Warren expressed concern over injuries their son has sustained while in care. “Our children are probably being bullied by older kids at the children’s home because my boy had a blue eye, and we were told he ran into a tree, and I said to them that must be a helluva a tree to hurt a child like that. Then the other day, my boy had a bandage, and when my wife removed it and found 8 stitches, we were told he fell while pushing a food trolley, but why should a little boy be pushing a food trolley in the first place? That’s more of an adult’s job. I suspect the boy hurt himself while skating, probably without supervision, it could be anything, but I don’t believe what the centre told us,” he stated, frustrated by what he perceives as a lack of adequate care.
The tension between the couple and the Johannesburg Children’s Home has escalated to the point where the facility sought a restraining order against them, citing verbal abuse and threats. In response to accusations of neglect, Sipho Mdluli, Managing Director at the children’s home, reassured that the children’s safety and wellbeing are paramount.
“The children, by nature of being kids, run around, and in the last incident, one of the kids was pushing a trolley, and unfortunately, he fell on the trolley, you know, and had a stitch. And then we immediately took the kid to the doctor, and the doctor stitched up the kid. Every time we take a kid to the doctor, we write a report, and then the doctor also writes a report. So if these things happen often, we are going to be investigated, you know. So there is absolutely, absolutely no intentional hurting of anyone in these facilities,” said Sipho Mdluli, Managing Director at the Johannesburg Children’s Home.
“Kids are kids; they run around, and sometimes they trip or fall. Every incident is reported and dealt with,” Mdluli insisted, dismissing allegations of intentional harm. “We take the health and well-being of our kids very seriously.”
The couple’s struggle, however, continues as they navigate the often complex legal and social systems in a bid to regain custody of their children. With no response from the Gauteng Department of Social Development at the time of publication, the Ellies maintain hope that their relentless fight will one day lead to a reunification with their beloved children.