eMBALENHLE – Ms Lebohang Nhlapho, a young mother from eMbalenhle who confessed to allegedly killing her toddler and burying the body in a shallow grave in the backyard garden of her family home in Extension 20, is still in police custody.
This 19-year-old who became a mother in her teens, appeared in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 February. The case was postponed for further investigations.
Although police initially stated that she had confessed to the killing, no such confession has been admitted and the accused is yet to plead.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/156038/teen-mother-confess-killing-daughter/
A 13-year-old family member came upon a child’s skull while he was working in the garden on Friday 21 February.
The family contacted the police about the gruesome discovery and the police confirmed it to be human remains.
The police summoned their forensic team to the scene, where the rest of the skeleton was found buried in a shallow grave.
The remains turned out to be that of the two-year-old Phiwokuhle Nhlapho.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect’s two-year-old daughter had not been seen by the family since December.
The family informed the police that when asked about the child’s whereabouts, Ms Nhlapho had told them that she took Phiwokuhle to Lesotho for a family ritual ceremony.
Lieut-Gen Mondli Zuma, Provincial Police Commissioner, has once again strongly condemned the alleged killing of children allegedly by their own parents.
“This is yet another sad story of a little defenceless girl whose life was cut short by her own biological mother, who was supposed to be loving, protecting and caring for the little girl,” he alleged.
“The right to life is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and no one has any right whatsoever to take another person’s life, such incidents are heart-wrenching.
“Young mothers who feel overwhelmed by such a responsibility or who are going through any challenges, are encouraged to seek assistance at relevant institutions so as to prevent such incidents.”
He indicated that this was the third gruesome incident in Mpumalanga within a short span of time where police believe parents to have been behind the deaths of their children.
”This is the third gruesome incident in a short space of time where children were found to have been murdered by their own parents in Mpumalanga.”
During her court appearance, Ms Nhlapho did not plead and was remanded in custody for further investigation.
She is expected to again appear at the same court within seven days.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/155928/babys-skull-found-backyard-embalenhle-house/
