Parents Jailed For Killing Toddler, Disposing Her Body
Fanni Poloane, 31, and Keletso Sesi Maimela, 32, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of their 18-month-old daughter by the Mpumalanga High Court in Graskop.
“Keletso Sesi is the biological mother of the deceased (toddler) and the two were in a relationship staying together at Ga-Madiseng Riba Cross in Lydenburg,” said Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa.
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The court heard that in September 2019, the two conspired to take the toddler to the mountains near Lydenburg at night. “Upon their arrival, they immersed the victim in a bucket full of water with her head facing down until she died. They then threw her lifeless body in the bushes and went back to their place of residence,” Nyuswa said.
“The accused’s parents kept on asking the whereabouts of the deceased and they could not give a proper response. The matter was reported to the police and they (Poloane and Maimela) were arrested.”
A thorough search was carried out, but the toddler’s body was never discovered. During the trial, both parents testified against one another. “Maimela told the court that Poloane forced her to kill her baby. Advocate Thulani Msibi led evidence of several witnesses including the testimonies of the accused’s family members.
“They testified that after the deceased was taken by the accused to the mountains, she was never seen again dead or alive,” Nyuswa said.
“The court found evidence of the State witnesses credible, and the pair was convicted of premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice.”
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Msibi argued before the court in aggravation of sentence that the helpless toddler died at the hands of her parents, who were supposed to care for, protect, and support her. Therefore, requesting that the parents be sentenced to life in prison.
In sentencing the two parents, Judge Kgama Shai stated that infanticide would not be tolerated in society, and the larger family has received no closure because the toddler’s body was never recovered.
He sentenced each accused to 20 years in prison for murder and five years in prison for obstructing the administration of justice. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently by the court, with the effective sentence being 20 years direct imprisonment.
Sonja Ntuli, the acting director of public prosecutions in Mpumalanga, has welcomed the conviction and sentence.
