News

Mother who admits to murdering four children to reappear for sentencing

The case of the Klarinet mother who pleaded guilty to murdering her four children has been postponed.

Zinhle Maditla (24) will again appear before the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sitting in Middelburg next Tuesday.

Judge Sheila Mphahlele said the case will resume once Maditla has reviewed the pre-sentencing report from the social worker, Winnie Masango.
In the meantime Maditla is remanded in custody.

The spokesperson of the Maditla family, Kevin Balance, said his family has already forgiven Maditla.
Mr Balance added that the family wishes that Maditla serve her time in prison and eventually return to society.

The Zinhle Maditla family leaving court.
Ntomfuthi Maditla, Mathilda Mahlangu and Kevin Balance.

“Her mother is trying to be strong, it’s saddening that she lost her grandchildren and she is about to lose her daughter,” said Mr Balance.

Zinhle Maditla (24), handed herself over to the police on 30 December 2018, after the decomposing bodies of her four children were discovered in the room she was renting at the time.

The young mother, whose trial kicked off on Monday, 9 September, quietly sat in court as a detailed statement was read out to the Magistrate, explaining how she took the lives of her two girls and two boys.

Maditla had confessed to using rat poison on her four children, Minenhle (8), Blessing (6), Shanique (4) and Ettiene (11 months) and allegedly motivated her crime by stating that the father of her youngest two, failed in his duty as a parent. Her reason for taking the life of her own flesh and blood was that the father had found himself another girlfriend and never bought the children clothes or Christmas presents.

Image: Witbank News.

According to National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa, Maditla asked for the court’s mercy, claiming that she had taken some of the rat poison herself at the time of the murders.

Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here.

Tiisetso Malunga

I have been working as a journalist/photographer since 2018 at the Middelburg Observer. Before joining Caxton I was a Journalism Student at the Tshwane University of Technology. I was also a broadcasting intern at the SABC in Pretoria. In my first year as a journalist I was awarded the Upcoming Journalist of the Year at the O H Frewin awards. My motto in life is ‘I am human before anything’ with that being said I am driven by human stories and I am a strong believer in justices and human rights. More »
Back to top button