By Melisa Msweli | 2025-03-13

GRUESOME!
This word is still an understatement to what a woman allegedly did to two minors who were in her custody and resided with them at Siphumelele Township in Nhlangano.
The woman allegedly starved and assaulted the two male minors aged two and four years for months.
The children were found with swollen wrists and one of them had his private part tied so that he would not relieve himself inside the house.
The incident that shook residents was discovered by community police of Siphumelele Township when they were patrolling around 10.30pm on Tuesday.
One of the community police Sabelo Ndlovu who made the discovery said they passed by the flats and heard children crying mysteriously.
He said they approached the house and met a neighbour whom they asked if they knew why the children were crying.

He said the neighbour responded by stating that the children cried everyday but they had not seen them once since they got there.
Ndlovu, who was in the company of another community police, said they were also told that the house was rented by a woman who had two children who, even when they were not there, there would still be two voices of unknown children that were crying.
Ndlovu said they got information that the children would cry, especially at night when the woman returned from her vending stall in town.
knocked
“We then knocked on the door and when the woman opened we were met with blood on the floor and we questioned her where it was coming from,” he said.
Ndlovu said they turned on their torches and stepped into the house to find the children crying while one lay helplessly in a pool of blood.
According to Ndlovu, they called for backup from their colleagues who were patrolling the other sections and they all gathered to witness the shocking incident.
He said they started questioning the woman why the children had wounds adding that one had open wounds on the forehead.
He said the woman denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the children’s relative, adding that they were left by a lady she also did not know. He said as they further questioned her, she narrated a different story.
Ndlovu said the woman claimed the children belonged to another woman *Zanele who was chucked out of her home in Siteki and went to Ezulwini where she resided.
“She said she was neighbours with Zanele’s brother. She was approached by him requesting that she look after the children who were not safe with Zanele who was an alcoholic,” narrated Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said the woman further narrated that Zanele then went AWOL and the brother promised to assist with finances for the children’s upkeep.

It was said that the woman then moved to Nhlangano with the children and would receive money from Zanele’s brother (minors’ uncle).
Ndlovu said they found one of the children’s private parts tied with a string and he was also tied on the wrist while sitting on floor tiles with no trousers crying. He said the other one was lying on the floor near blood stains with open wounds on the forehead and he did not have a trouser. He said the string used to tie him was also close by.
Ndlovu said they found the woman’s two children whom he called on the side and questioned them on what the story was with the two minors.
“The 12-year-old stated that the children were always tied up and beaten when they said they were hungry. She said the one who had his private part tied relieved himself anytime, hence he was tied him with a rope,” narrated Ndlovu. He said the woman’s children were all fresh and good looking.
When he asked them when last they had their meals, Ndlovu said the woman counted hours adding that the others had not eaten for days.
He said they removed the strings from the children and called the police. The community members, he said, heard and flooded the scene while they were waiting for the police and they also started questioning the woman.

Inside the house, Ndlovu said they found containers and clothes that suggested that the woman was a traditional healer (sangoma). He said when they talked to her, she was making groaning noise similar to sounds by traditional healers.
In videos circulating on social media, community members are heard questioning the woman to whom the children belonged. She tried to explain that she was being assaulted by the community members.
In one of the circulating content, a man believed to be the uncle was called and in the conversation, he claimed he was at Ezulwini and had last visited the children two weeks ago. He was questioned if he knew the condition of the children and he contrary. He then requested to talk to the woman who was looking after the children. He questioned her on what happened and in response, the woman said she was beating them.
The man then asked what happened to the child’s private part and the woman responded by saying: “I tied her private part so that she cannot urinate as there were no diapers.
I did not buy them when you were here as you also noted they were not available at the time, hence he was injured that time.”
Ndlovu said ever since he started patrolling as a community police, he had never seen such and worse it was done by a woman who had children of her own. He said they were still reeling in shock.
arrived
Police arrived at the scene and the children were taken to hospital. The child who had open wounds on the forehead succumbed to his injuries. The woman was then taken in for questioning by the police.
Sources working close to the matter shared that the police called the mother of the two minors to report to Nhlangano Police Station for questioning and she had arrived by 4pm yesterday.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident.
When asked if anyone was charged, Vilakati said police were still investigating the matter.
*Not her real name

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