Youth accused of young brother’s death by rat poison

05 February 2025 - 06:54 By TimesLIVE
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Rat poison, known in communities as halephirimi, can easily be bought from street traders. File image
Rat poison, known in communities as halephirimi, can easily be bought from street traders. File image
Image: Thulani Mbele

An 18-year-old from Orange Farm has been arrested in connection with the alleged poisoning of his three-year-old brother.

He appeared in the Vereeniging magistrate's court this week, where the case was postponed for a possible bail application on February 13.

Lumka Mahanjana, the National Prosecuting Authority's Gauteng spokesperson, said the child’s mother was at home with the accused and her other two sons, aged 16 and 22, at 11am on January 31 when she noticed her youngest son was missing. Assuming he was playing at a neighbour’s house, she did not raise an alarm. However, by 1pm, when the child had not returned, she started searching for him.

At about 4pm, the 16-year-old brother went to a veld near the N1 highway to feed his goats when he allegedly saw the accused placing the child’s body inside a dustbin.

"After confronting him, the brother took the dustbin containing the body to their home and told their mother. Emergency services were called and the child was declared dead at the scene."

The next day, the 18-year-old accused handed himself over to police, allegedly confessing to killing his brother with rat poison, Mahanjana said.

TimesLIVE


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