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The grieving mother, Ndidzulafhi Mathada.

Father forces child to swallow glue

 

A cloud of sadness is hanging around Dopeni village in the Nzhelele area, after a 35-year-old man, Kenneth Mudau allegedly forced his three-year-old daughter, Anza Mathada, to drink glue and die before committing suicide himself last Friday.

According to the police, the incidents follow a dispute with his wife over the child’s paternity. It was during the heated argument that wife allegedly told Mudau that the child was not his. “It appears that Mudau, who was apparently incensed by his wife’s revelations, could not contain his anger. He forced his daughter to drink glue and later committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree when he realised the child was dead," a police spokesperson said.

The police have stated that when the mother arrived at the house, she knocked on the door, but there was no response. She discovered the dead child lying in a bedroom. The mother of the child, Ms Ndidzulafhi Mathada said that the incident has really traumatised the whole family. "We were stunned by the tragic incident," she said. She added that the family could not afford to bury two people at the same time, because she doesn't work.

The spokesperson for the Siloam police, W/O Edward Tharaga, confirmed the incident. "We are continuing with investigations to try and found out what might have been the cause of the incident. We are appealing to members of the community to continue working with us in the fight against crime," said Tharaga.

The deputy chairperson of the South African Civic Organization (Sanco) in the village, Mr Mathew Masipala, said that the incident came as a shock to the entire community. "We are very concerned about the spate of killings in the area," he said. Masipala said that young people should always consult social workers, church organisations, Sanco and other structures when they have problems.

Vhakoma Vho-Livhuwani Mavhungu said that he was shocked by the incident. “This is very rare and strange in our community and we condemn it in the strongest terms. It happened in broad daylight and there were people out there who could have stopped the whole incident,” he added. He said that this was the first cruel incident of its kind in Dopeni village. He added that the family should know that the community shared their grief. “We know it is painful to lose loved ones, but we would like the family to accept it as it is. This is not the time to point fingers, but for the family to be more united than ever. We will be with you and give you the necessary support wherever possible,” he said.

News - Date: 22 April 2013

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Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Email: [email protected]

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