Police have arrested a 27-year-old woman following the death of her four-year-old son in the Teanong section of Thembisa.

Thembisa police were alerted on Monday (January 19), after a tenant contacted authorities, reporting that the woman had been acting strangely, Kempton Express reported.

“The tenant said she had not seen the child and became concerned after asking the woman about the boy’s whereabouts,” said SAPS spokesperson Captain Neldah Sekgobela.

According to Sekgobela, the tenant peeped through a locked burglar door and noticed a suspiciously wrapped blanket while the woman was digging a hole behind the backyard rooms.

Discovery of shallow grave

“Shortly thereafter, the hole was covered. The tenant then contacted the police, who requested assistance from the K9 Search and Rescue Unit,” Sekgobela added.

The body of the four-year-old boy was exhumed from a shallow grave in the backyard yesterday.

“The child’s throat had been slit, and he was buried with his clothes and shoes on and wrapped in two dresses,” said Sekgobela.

The suspect was traced and arrested at a nearby house. She is expected to appear in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder.

Police urge witnesses to come forward

Following the incident, police noted a reluctance from some community members to provide formal statements.

In response, Social Crime Prevention officers Sergeant Asnath Mokami, Sergeant Pitsi Makgatho, and Sergeant Patricia Mgijima addressed approximately 150 community members, distributing pamphlets on gender-based violence and substance abuse.

Addressing the gathering, Sergeant Mgijima thanked residents for providing information but expressed concern about the unwillingness of some witnesses to submit formal statements.

“We want to bridge the gap between the community and the police. We do not want situations where communities feel failed by police investigations, only to find that no statements were submitted to assist investigating officers,” she said.

Support services for the community

She further encouraged parents to make use of services offered by the Department of Social Development and People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), particularly for individuals struggling with substance abuse.

Sergeant Mokami added that community members should attend meetings, know their sector managers, and utilise the Social Crime Prevention office to improve local safety.

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