A domestic worker's toddler daughter was killed, allegedly over the fact that she didn't clean the home properly.
Image: AI Generated
A domestic worker's toddler daughter was killed, allegedly over the fact that she didn't clean the home properly.
Mpumalanga police said the incident took place while the three-year-old was accompanying her mother to work.
A 21- year-old has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said it is alleged that the child’s mother, a domestic worker at the residence, left her daughter sleeping on a couch.
"When she later could not find her, the suspect directed her to the garage, where she discovered the child’s lifeless body with head injuries,” Mdhluli said.
Police and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were dispatched to the premises. Upon arrival at the home, medical personnel confirmed the child had died.
“When questioned about the incident, the suspect allegedly stated that he was angry because the mother did not clean the house properly,” Mdhluli said.
According to police, the suspect resides with his grandmother, who employs the victim’s mother.
A case of murder has been opened for investigation.
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing crisis of violence against children in South Africa. Community leaders in the Mpumalanga province have previously called for stricter sentencing in domestic-related homicides to deter such acts of senseless violence.