Johannesburg – A 28-year-old woman dubbed “heartless” was nabbed for allegedly burning her seven-month-old daughter to death inside a shack.
The charred, tiny remains of the child were found in the rubble after the fire was extinguished.
South Africa is still observing Women’s Month, a time when women and children should be protected, yet this mother is responsible for the tragic death of her little girl.
The gruesome incident occurred at Vosman, near Witbank, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A report by the police indicates that emergency services personnel, including SAPS members from Vosman, were alerted about a shack that was on fire at Marikana in Extension 16.
Upon arrival at the crime scene, a group of people were found deeply perturbed by the horrifying incident in which a fire consumed an innocent toddler.
Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that earlier on, the child's mother and her husband had a heated argument that turned violent.
The husband then left the premises, and it was during this time that she allegedly torched the shack.
Although she was whisked away from the raging flames by some members of the public who became outrageous. They even tried to take the law into their own hands, but the police rescued her.
Police said there were also some allegations that she was somehow under the influence of alcohol when the incident happened; however, the allegations will form part of the investigation.
The police added that further reports indicate that before the authorities were called, members of the community noticed the blazing fire at a shack and began screaming.
It was during that period that the woman was somehow rescued, but sadly, after the fire was extinguished, the burned body was found.
After the police conducted their investigations, they arrested the woman and charged her with murder.
She is due to appear before the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela, strongly condemned the incident and labelled it as heartless and uncalled for.
“It is the responsibility of parents to protect children rather than to use them as either weapons or shields during fights.
“We really urge community members to seek professional help from social workers when they are confronted with social challenges, but never to resort to violence at the expense of children,” said Manamela.
The Star