Witbank mom accused of killing her children still under observation

The case against the 24-year-old woman from Klarinet in Witbank accused of killing her four children in December was on Thursday postponed in the Witbank Magistrate's Court.

Zinhle Maditla was scheduled to return to court on March 12, when she was expected to have seen yet another psychiatrist.

The court last month ordered that she see three different psychiatrists to establish her mental state. This after her lawyer had pleaded for his client to be sent for mental observation.

Jabulani Maphete submitted that Maditla could not have been in her "right state of mind when the alleged offence was committed".

State prosecutor Johan Harmse had at the time indicated that he was not opposed to Maditla being sent for mental observation.

Maditla's children, aged between 11 months and eight years, were laid to rest in her absence in January.

The bodies of Ethan, Shaniqua, Blessing and Minenhle were found by relatives on December 30 after Zinhle allegedly phoned to tell them she had left something for them at her home.

She is the main suspect in the killings.

According to police, the children's corpses had already begun decomposing when they were found.

All four had been wrapped in blankets. It was believed that the children had died from poisoning.

It was alleged that the children had last been seen alive on December 26 but according to their funeral programme, they were believed to have died on the following day.

Maditla had handed herself over to police and was hospitalised shortly thereafter.

Police had said she seemed weak and drowsy at the time.