Sangoma in court for murder of two-year-old: Shocking case highlights traditional pressures on women
Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba was denied bail after she was arrested for killing her two-year-old daughter Kutlwano by feeding her poison.
Image: Screengrab/X
A 50-year-old sangoma, Sebokoana Khounyana has appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng facing charges of premeditated murder and human trafficking of two-year-old baby, Kutlwano Shalaba.
Gauteng spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Lumka Mahanjana said a charge of premeditated murder was also added against the baby’s mother Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba.
The 32-year-old mother was previously facing charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery and making a false statement to the police.
“It is alleged that on 10 November 2024, the mother of the child (Kuneuwe) took the child to the sangoma (Khounyana) and requested him to kill her child because she was not happy with the gender of the baby and was tired of hiding it from her family. The child (Kutlwano) was a girl,” said Mahanjana.
“The mother then allegedly fed the baby poison, and after the baby died, it is alleged that the two took the child and buried her body in a shallow grave in Waterpan.”
Kutlwano Shalaba was murdered allegedly by her mother and a sangoma.
Image: Facebook
After investigations by the police, the sangoma, who is a Lesotho national, was arrested on 29 May 2025 and the NPA said he subsequently made a confession. The sangoma pointed out to the police where the body of the child had been buried.
In court, the matter was postponed to 05 June 2025, for legal representation for the sangoma.
Mahanjana said the state intends to oppose Khounyana’s application for release on bail.
Kuneuwe remains in custody after the court previously denied her application for release on bail.
Meanwhile, IOL spoke to renowned criminologist, Prof Kholofelo Rakubu who is the Head of Department at Tshwane University of Technology’s recently merged Department of Law, Safety and Security Management, regarding the crime trends in South Africa where mothers are accused of killing their own children.
“Maternal filicide is very uncommon because mothers are looked in a different way socially. They are protectors. In most cases where it happens, there would be foul play - a mother is not naturally seen as a perpetrator. Most mothers get away with it,” Rakubu spoke to IOL in an interview.
Renowned criminologist, Prof Kholofelo Rakubu, who is Head of Department at Tshwane University of Technology’s recently merged Department of Law, Safety and Security Management.
Image: File
“When a child is killed, we look at other people, other than the mother. That is how it becomes uncommon, but realistically, it is very, very common. With today’s crime landscape, we are slowly learning that a mother can be a perpetrator as much as a father. A female figure can be a perpetrator as much as a male figure.”
Rakubu highlighted that the Joshlin Smith case has also shown that mothers can also be the perpetrators of the heinous murders.
She also highlighted that many women are under certain pressure within their communities to produce children of a specific gender.
“In some contexts, people do not take you seriously if you do not have a boy child. It would be interpreted that you have done something wrong and that you could have done something better to produce a boy child. Traditionally, that element is still being taken advantage of, some say ancestors are not happy and things like that,” she said.
“Science tells us that it is beyond any human to try and decide or determine a child’s gender. Looking at crime patterns and trends, there are bogus traditional healers who play games with aspects of people’s lives, for them to get money or anything of value,” said Rakubu.
She added that “gender judging” is a lived reality in many societies including in South Africa.
Last year, IOL reported that a 48-year-old woman was arrested in Limpopo after she allegedly murdered her 18-year-old wheelchair-bound son.
The 48-year-old mother allegedly chopped off her son’s head, in an incident described as “shocking” by the police in Limpopo. The incident happened at Leshikishiki village, in Lebowakgomo policing area.
“A report was lodged about the murder of a young man at around 1pm on Friday, May 3, 2024. Upon arrival of the police at the scene, next to a local tavern, they found the decapitated body of an 18-year-old man lying on his wheelchair and his head on the ground,” Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said at the time.
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