A 24 year old woman who allegedly murdered her four children aged between 11 months and eight years appeared before the Witbank Magistrate’s Court today, was remanded in custody for psychiatric evaluation.
According to information at police disposal, the woman allegedly called her family members informing them to go and check at her house in Klarinet, near Witbank. They reportedly went there and were met by a gruesome scene where dead bodies of her children were wrapped in blankets inside the house. She later handed herself to the police.
The ruling by the court was that she must be sent for psychiatric evaluation, therefore means that the matter is postponed to 14 February 2019.
Meanwhile, a 40 year old man, Kali Morris Matjila was remanded in custody by the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 10 January 2019, on charges of murder and two counts attempted murder.
It is alleged that on 31 December 2018, the suspect called his girlfriend, Koketso Jiyane, who is also one of the victims to collect grilled chicken wings from his place. Jiyane arrived home and shared the wings with some of her family members including her seven year old sister. After a while Matjila called to confirm if they ate the meat. Jiyane then reportedly went to bed shortly afterwards and was woken up by her sister, complaining of severe stomach cramps, she was immediately rushed to hospital however, was certified dead on arrival.
After some time, Jiyane also developed the same symptoms and had to be treated in hospital, but was later discharged. Police had initially opened an inquest docket but preliminary investigations revealed that the meat could have possibly been poisoned, hence the arrest on Wednesday, 09 January 2019 and the subsequent court appearance.
Matjila was remanded in custody pending a formal bail application and will appear at the same court on 18 January 2019.
In 2017 a woman in her early 30s also poisoned her three children as well as herself. In December last year, 2018 another woman is reported to have poisoned three of her children in Moroka, Gauteng and ran to hide at Vosman, near Witbank. Two of the children died while one survived. She was later arrested and taken back to Gauteng where the incident had occurred.
The Provincial Commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lt General Mondli Zuma condemned the incidents of poisoning that seems to be rearing its ugly head.