The parents of an eight-year-old boy fighting for his life in the Evander Hospital, outside Secunda in Mpumalanga, were each granted R1 000 bail by the Evander Magistrate Court.

The couple was arrested days after the child was admitted to the hospital with burn wounds over his body on August 18. A social worker alerted the eMbalenhle Police about a child with serious burn wounds admitted to the hospital.

Although it was unclear who took him to the hospital, the police investigation revealed the boy was from Mandela Section in eMbalenhle.

Police previously said they still attempted to locate his parents and investigated what had led to the burns.

A case of attempted murder was opened, with the boy’s mother and stepfather as the suspects.

They made their most recent court appearance last week Wednesday, and their case was postponed to October 6 for further investigation.

The child is still recovering in hospital.

Other child deaths

In two unrelated cases, Thabano Nkosi (3) and Dimpho Maponyana (5) also died, allegedly at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and nurture them. These little girls died during August.

Muriel Keamokgetswe (27) was arrested in eMbalenhle on August 21 for the alleged murder of Dimpho.

Keamokgetswe, Dimpho’s stepmother, rushed the five-year-old to the Paulina Morapedi Clinic on August 18, but the child was declared dead on her arrival.

She alleged Dimpho was epileptic and sustained injuries during an epilepsy attack.

However, an autopsy conducted at Ermelo Pathology established that Dimpho died due to multiple blunt-force injuries.

Keamokgetswe was arrested and charged with murder. She was remanded in custody and will be in court again on September 27.

In the other case, Bathabile Khala (34) was arrested on August 15 for allegedly murdering her daughter, Thabano, on Brandrift farm near eMbalenhle.

According to the eMbalenhle police spokesperson, Constable Busi Mthethwa, an inquest docket was initially opened when they found the child’s body on the farm. They later changed the investigation to murder. The police suspect the child was beaten to death.