The small town of Stillfontein, North West, is reeling from a horrific tragedy that has left residents mourning and a father facing a murder charge. A two-year-old boy tragically lost his life after allegedly being poisoned by his own father.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man, is said to have been driven by a desperate attempt to win back his estranged wife. According to police spokesperson Colonel Amanda Funani, the man had separated from the children’s mother and was seeking her attention.
"According to information at our disposal, the father went to his girlfriend's home in Kanana, near Klerksdorp, and demanded to be given his three children, aged eight, four and two. The next day the woman said the children could visit their father, provided that her brother went with them," she said.
The father’s actions took a chilling turn when he instructed the children’s uncle to leave, leaving the two younger boys behind.
"The uncle left with the four-year-old and left the two boys behind. Later that day, the father allegedly called the children's mother and told her he was going to do something. The mother then called the children's grandmother, who informed her that they were on the way to hospital after the suspect allegedly poisoned himself and the two children," Funani said.
The horrific events unfolded with devastating speed. The two-year-old boy tragically succumbed to the poison while in hospital. Luckily his elder brother survived. The father, who also ingested the poison, was arrested upon his release from hospital.
Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, the provincial police commissioner, condemned the incident in the strongest terms.
"The child died at the hands of his father, someone who was supposed to protect them," Funani added.
