Hanging of children by parent despicable – Limpopo MEC Rakgoale

Limpopo MEC for social development Nkakareng Rakgoale said yesterday she was disturbed by the rate of domestic violence claiming the lives of people in Limpopo and beyond the province’s borders.

The MEC said this after visiting the family of a man who allegedly hanged his two children and took his own life in Limpopo on Sunday.

The incident was allegedly the result of a domestic squabble between the man and the children’s mother.

The 38-year-old father, Samuel Kgatla of Ngaleng village outside Mankweng Turfloop, was apparently involved in a protracted argument with his wife.

It has not yet been established what their problems were, but the rift between them grew until the wife left, taking her two children with her to her parents’ home in Sekgosese, outside Modjadjiskloof.

Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the two children had gone to their father’s house to visit him during the school holidays.

“On their arrival, the man allegedly called his wife on the phone. They apparently had another fierce argument on the phone. It did not end well.

“Subsequently, the father allegedly turned against the children and hanged them one by one in separate rooms before fleeing the scene.”

Ngoepe said neighbours who heard the cries of the children in the house called the police. When the police arrived at the scene, the two children had already died.

“The police were able to find his hiding nest. But unfortunately his lifeless body was also found hanged in a house in the area,” said Ngoepe.

Police identified the children as Anna Kgatle, aged eight, and five-year-old Marry Kgatle.

Rakgoale said it was despicable for a man to take out his anger on innocent children. She said children should not be mixed up in the family politics or fights between their parents.

She said the problem was that many parents ignored the advice of social workers to come to their offices when they faced marital problems.

Police have opened two cases of murder.

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