The mother of the 11-month baby whose body was found in sewage water in Wallacedene is set to appear in court this morning after she was arrested for murder and child neglect.
Xola Mafentile reported her son, Akhimbali, missing on Monday when she returned from a sleepover by the child’s father.
The 20-year-old had told the police when she left her home on Sunday night, she told her friends to go and look after Akhimbali, and when she returned the next morning, he was gone.
The friends reportedly told police that they didn’t know what happened to the baby either.
Xola will appear in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court and community members are hoping her bail will be denied.
On Wednesday afternoon, residents who were helping with the search, found the baby’s body floating in murky water close to his mother’s home.
It took police more than four hours to retrieve the body from the filthy water.
Community members bayed for the mother’s blood upon the grisly discovery.
Resident Leletu Somtswewu says: “The mother was taken by the police and she has not returned to the area.
“I went to her family to see if they maybe know something we don't know about what happened to the baby.
“We know he was murdered because he had blood in his mouth and ears.
“Wallacedene residents will be marching to court, we don’t want the mother to get bail.
“She must sit in jail for the murder.
“This is all strange because Xola was always with her baby on her back.”
The community leader says when they were searching for the boy, they didn’t think they would find his body.
“We knew that the police had not gone to the dried-out dam when they were looking for the boy and it was shocking the condition the baby was in,” says Leletu.
“I could not sleep on Wednesday night. I had to take medication.”
Police spokesperson Colonel André Traut says: “The body of an 11-month-old baby boy was discovered near a dam in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, on Wednesday afternoon, following the child’s disappearance on 21 March.
“Detectives are probing all possibilities, and it is too soon to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the case at this stage.
“A suspect, a 20-year-old female, is expected to make a court appearance today in Blue Downs on a charge of murder and child neglect.”