The parents of an 11-month-old boy, who they claimed had been hit by a brick while standing on the balcony of a Hillbrow flat, were arrested and charged with perjury on Tuesday, police said.

The Zimbabwean couple, aged 28 and 30 respectively, allegedly said in a statement to police that the child was struck on the head by a brick while his mother stood with him on the balcony of the flat, Captain Bheki Mavundla said.

Police investigated and found the couple were allegedly not in the building when the incident occurred.

The mother told police the family had attended a party in the building, but during the investigation, police found the building was locked and the residents of the flat in question asleep when the boy was struck, Mavundla said.

"The child was hit while in the street. This type of conduct has made it complicated for police to carry out a proper investigation as the couple lied about the exact scene," he said.

The couple were released with a warning after their arrest. They were told to appear in the Hillbrow Magistrate's Court tomorrow, giving them time to tend to their child, who is in a stable condition in hospital.

By IOL