Mom slits baby’s throat as she tries to ‘end her children’s suffering’

A security guard from Wildlife Investigations and Protections Services (WIPS) was patrolling along a line wire on a large farm on the N11 Schoeman Road, outside Groblersdal, in Limpopo when he heard a child screaming at around 3am.

The security guard, Amos Mambuza, went to investigate, and saw a woman throw a knife into the bushes. He noticed an eight-year-old child on the ground, and a 14-month-old bloodied baby screaming hysterically.

Mambuza immediately contacted the security management of WIPS, as well as the security manager of the farm, where he works.

The provincial ambulance services were contacted but no response was received, after which Gunmar EMS and Swift EMS were called to the scene.

ALSO READ: Mother of burnt Pretoria girls appears in court in connection to the murder

WIPS also contacted the police station, but there were no vehicles available.

Nico Pretorius, owner of Swift EMS, says he also made several calls to the provincial ambulance services for assistance, but received no response.

“I also contacted the Groblersdal Police Station, after which it was said that there were no vehicles available and that the children had to be taken to hospital first, after which the children had to come to the police station later to open the case. How can an eight year old and a one year old open a case at the police station? ”

Gunmar EMS immediately transported the two children to Groblersdal Hospital for medical treatment.

Paramedics said while they had experienced gruesome scenes on duty, this scene was particularly traumatic.

According to Gunmar, the 14 month old’s throat was cut so deep that it was up to his larynx.

Mambuza said the mother told him that she was chased away from her house in Masakaneng by her husband, and that she did not know how she would take care of her children.

ALSO READ: Suspect hands himself over to cops for murder committed in 2010

“She said she would rather kill her children before they suffer,” Mambuza said.

Pretorius said they waited for 70 minutes before a police detective from the Groblersdal Police Station arrived at the scene. He was on standby, and had to drive from Lukau to the scene.

“Someone’s life is in danger. What if WIPS’s guard did not hear the child scream and the mother did not stop? Then there would have been a double murder today! Why are the police not coming? What if it was a farm attack?

“I was a policeman for 21 years and never in my life would we say that there are no vehicles available, or take more than an hour to arrive at a scene,” said the security manager of the nearby farm, who wishes to remain anonymous.

ALSO READ: Man arrested for alleged murder of six family members

The mother is expected to appear in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court later on Wednesday on a charge of attempted murder.

The Groblersdal police spokesperson said in response to inquiries that he was on leave and could not help, while a fruitless attempt was made to get comments from the provincial ambulance service.

This article was translated from Afrikaans and republished from Middelburg Observer with permission 

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.