By Doreen Mokgolo
- Sebokoana Khounyana claimed the mother was tired of hiding her daughter’s gender and wanted her dead.
- The baby was allegedly poisoned, buried in a shallow grave, and her remains are now being tested.
A sangoma has claimed in court that the mother of two-year-old Kutlwano Shalaba asked him to kill the child because she was a girl.
Sebokoana Khounyana, aged 50, from Lesotho, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on Monday. He faces charges of premeditated murder and human trafficking. He was arrested on 29 May.
Khounyana told the court that the child’s mother, Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba, approached him because she was unhappy with the child’s gender. She was also tired of hiding it from her family.
On 10 November 2024, Shalaba allegedly gave the child poison. After the baby died, the sangoma and the mother are said to have buried her in a shallow grave in Waterpan near Bekkersdal.
Shalaba, aged 32, now faces an additional charge of premeditated murder. She was already facing charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery and making a false statement to the police.
DNA tests will be done to confirm whether the remains found are those of Kutlwano.
Khounyana’s case was postponed to 5 June 2025 for legal representation.
The National Prosecuting Authority in Gauteng said the state would oppose bail for Khounyana. Shalaba has already been denied bail and remains in police custody.
Pictured above: Sebokoana Khounyana and Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba in court.
Image source: Supplied by NPA
