Couple allegedly drowns baby in a bucket
LYDENBURG - A mother allegedly conspired with her boyfriend to drown her year-and-a-half-old baby.
The pair allegedly drowned her in a bucket filled with water near the R37 between Lydenburg and Burgersfort.
Capt Alfred Moela, spokesperson for Lydenburg SAPS, confirmed that the two suspects appeared at the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Moela said the two suspects, Keletso Maimela (30) and her boyfriend, Funny Pholoane (28) are facing a murder charge. The incident occurred last August. Pholoane is not the father of the baby.
“Maimela’s statement states that they drove from Ga-Madiseng, then stopped on the Lydenburg/Burgersfort R37. They had a bucket and water with them, when they stopped and poured the water into the bucket. They then held the baby upsidedown inside the bucket. She alleged that she held her head down in the water while the boyfriend held the legs.
“When they were done, they placed the baby in a sack, and then threw her in the field on the R37. After the incident, he then did not allow her to communicate with anyone. He was allegedly holding her hostage and she only managed to escape on January 21 at 03:00. She added that he was abusive and she fears him.
“We manage to get the information after Maimela reported the matter at the Burgersfort Police Station on January 27. She was arrested on January 29, and the boyfriend went on the run that day. He was later found around Middelburg and was arrested on February 1,” Moela said.
He said the suspects are from GaMadiseng outside Burgersfort, and their case is being heard in Lydenburg as it is near the scene of the crime.
“She alleges that he came up with the idea to kill the baby after his mother kept complaining that he is supporting and taking care of a child that is not biologically his,” Moela explained.
He said as the SAPS they would like to urge people not to stay in abusive relationships.
“If a man can kill your child, what about your safety as the mother? Community members should also report if they see any abusive relationships,” he said.
The corpse of the baby has been not recovered and the case had been postponed to yesterday.