A heartbreaking story has come to light involving a two-year-old girl who died after being poisoned and buried in a shallow grave.

The tragedy has led to serious criminal charges against both the child’s mother and a traditional healer, known as a sangoma, in the Gauteng province.

Mother and Sangoma Now Face Murder and Human Trafficking Charges

Sebokoana Khounyana, a 50-year-old sangoma originally from Lesotho, appeared in Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 2 June 2025.

He’s charged with premeditated murder and human trafficking related to the death of the young girl.

Meanwhile, the child’s mother, Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba, aged 32, was already facing multiple charges including human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, and giving false statements to the police.

Now, a murder charge has been added to her list of accusations.

Poisoning and Burial: How the Tragedy Unfolded

Police reports say that on 10 November 2024, Shalaba brought her daughter, Kutlwano Shalaba, to Khounyana.

She allegedly told him that she didn’t want the child because she was a girl and claimed she had been hiding this secret from her family.

It is believed that Shalaba fed the little girl poison, which led to her death.

Afterward, the mother and sangoma buried the child in a shallow grave near Waterpan, a location in Gauteng.

Arrest and Confession Lead Police to the Grave

Authorities arrested Khounyana on 29 May 2025. According to police, he confessed to his role in the crime and helped lead officers to the spot where the child’s body was buried.

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