Eastern Cape Mother Allegedly Assaults, Sets 2 Year Old Child on Fire, Appears in Court for Murder

• A woman appeared in the Peddie Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 10 July, charged with allegedly murdering her two-year-old child
• Police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa told Briefly News the motive for the crime would form part of investigations
• National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed to Briefly News her identity as being Bongeka Dingelo

PEDDIE — An Eastern Cape mother has appeared in the Pedi Magistrate's Court on a charge of murder over the alleged death of her two-year-old child.

Police responded to complaints of a 41-year-old woman assaulting a two-year-old boy and setting him on fire in Crossroad village outside Peddie.

Mother allegedly murders 2-year-old child

The incident happened at about 22:00 on Monday, 8 July.

Read also

Johannesburg mother shot dead in front of child: Mzansi reeling

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa said law enforcement arrived to find the lifeless body of a two-year-old boy who had suffered a severe beating.

"It is alleged that the mother assaulted her child in front of her seven-year-old daughter, who alerted the community," she said.

"The daughter is now in the custody of a family member. The mother was arrested on a charge of murder."

Mawisa told Briefly News the motive for the single mother of three other children's crime would form part of the investigation.

Peddie police are investigating a case of murder.

Murder court case postponed

She appeared briefly in court on Wednesday, 10 July.

The case was remanded until 17 July for a formal bail application while the suspect remains in custody.

Eastern Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali told Briefly News the woman was Bongeka Dingelo.

Read also

Mpumalanga man accused of repeatedly raping elderly women faces court

Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Nomthetheleli Mene expressed shock over the incident.

Mene said the police condemned gender-based violence, mainly against women and children.

"Whatever circumstances led [Dingelo] to allegedly kill her child is unjustifiable [and] I have [instructed] the investigating team to prioritise this case," she said.

Missing ex-SA world high jump champion Jacques Freitag dead

In related news, Briefly News reported that police on 2 July discovered a body believed to be that of former South African world high jump champion Jacques Freitag, who went missing in Tshwane a few weeks ago.

According to reports, Freitag, 42, had been missing for less than a month before the discovery in bushes in Tshwane.

Source: Briefly News