Woman accused of murdering her children

The MEC for the Department of Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta, was shattered by the tragic news of a woman, Ntombizanele Mntsizelwa (35) from Jabavu locality in Port St Johns, who allegedly poisoned and strangled to death her three children, last week.

Philani Mntsizelwa (4) and her siblings, Inganathi Mntsizelwa (8) in Grade 2 at Jabavu Primary School, and Iyapha (14) in Grade 8 at Zizamele Senior Secondary School, died. Their sister, Athini Mzintsizelwa (11), saved her own life by pretending to be dead. The victims’ funerals were held at Jabavu on Wednesday, last week.

It is alleged that after she (the mother) left the scene, Athini tried to wake up her siblings, but she saw that they had died. She then rushed to a nearby homestead, where she reported the matter.

She was then taken to the hospital, where she is recovering.

“This alleged tragedy happens just on the back of another mother, Bongeka Buso (38) from Tholeni Administrative Area in Butterworth, who allegedly took the lives of her four children, recently. Death on its own is tragic. But an alleged incident of suicide involving a mother and children has not only destructive effects on the immediate family, but also on an entire society. Therefore, we must all do more to strengthen, whether alleged or not, our suicide prevention interventions,” said Fanta.

She confirmed that the department has since dispatched professional social-worker teams to visit the family and community for trauma debriefing. Fanta said once done with their assessments, the team will advise on any possible additional psycho-social support interventions needed.

“Also, in our collective efforts of preventing incidents of alleged suicide, we have realised that the media is an important tool for mitigation. General psycho-social support and bereavement counselling services are provided by the department to individuals and families. These services are tailored to meet the specific requirements of the client. We equally encourage anyone seeking help for trauma counselling to please contact the Social Development Department trauma toll-free line: 0800 4289 428, or any of our professional social workers.”

The body of Ntombizanele Mntsizelwa(35), was also found in the same area, only 100 metres away in dense bushes where she murdered her three children.

Talking to Express, Mntsizelwa’s mother, Nozicelo Madwala (69), said she was still shocked about what her daughter did.

She said her daughter never showed that she had a problem, because she was always happy and loved her children so much.

“On Sunday afternoon, she was singing while cooking for them and I did not suspect anything, and we did not have an argument which could have led her to take this decision,” said Madwala.

She revealed that before this incident her daughter tried twice to commit suicide, but failed. One of the neighbours, Patricia Mkhananda (48), said Mntsizelwa used to go to church and she was not drinking alcohol.

“But of late she used to be quiet and always chosen to stay alone. We used to see her only when she went to fetch water and wood. But we never thought she would do something like this,” said Mkhananda.

Police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu, confirmed that police are investigating three cases of murder and an inquest.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that poverty may have been a motivating factor for this tragedy,” said Naidu.

The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, expressed her deep sadness by this tragedy.

Mene said that if the motive was allegedly driven by poverty, this raises a profound concern about the daily struggles that some members of their community face.

“This is a stark reminder of the importance of reaching out to those in need, offering support and fostering a sense of family within our community. Poverty should never drive anyone to such a desperate and tragic act, and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victims,” said Mene.

Spokesperson for Department of Health, Sizwe Kuphelo, confirmed that Athini is out of danger and is being supported by social workers.