The Daveyton nanny accused of murdering a toddler under her care was sentenced to 25 years behind bars on Monday for murder.
Mannana Tsabane, who had fabricated a story about how the child died, was also handed a five-year sentence for defeating the ends of justice — to run concurrently with the main sentence.
Seeing that jail was imminent after she was handed a guilty verdict, Tsabane suddenly changed her tune and through her lawyer, begged for forgiveness.
Her lawyer Tebogo Maimela submitted that Tsabane was 39, a first-time offender and a divorcee with two children who are in Lesotho.
“Their father is unemployed and does not support the children. She said she was from the highlands in an impoverished area in Lesotho where children there hardly passed matric,” said Maimela, suggesting that her children needed her.
“She said she is remorseful of what happened and she is sorry for what happened,” added Maimela.
It was during this time that a teardrop could be seen forming in her eye.
The nanny, however, had not given a true explanation as to how 21-month-old Langelihle Mnguni died. He was found strangled in a family storeroom on October 18 2019. A bandage was found dangling about his neck.
Tsabane had lied, telling the court that during an “attack” by a neighbour and two others, she had fought tooth and nail as they tried to poison her. She alleged the neighbour had fled with the child after forcing her to drink a poisonous concoction.
But the neighbour was cleared of any part in the toddler’s death and toxicology reports disputed that Tsabane had ingested anything deadly that day.
This was the only child I had. I have no siblings. He was the only thing I had.
— Lerato Mnguni
The toddler’s mother, Lerato, who had lived with Tsabane, her child and aunt, testified in aggravation of sentence. She choked back tears, telling the court she could not forgive Tsabane.
“I am pained because the accused has no children,” said Lerato, in contrast to evidence presented to court in mitigation about Tsabane being a mother of two.
“Rosina [Tsabane’s sister] called me before and told me that her child had died when she was just a few months old,” Mnguni said. “She said she is a breadwinner but her sister is a teacher. She can take care of the children,” Lerato said.
“This was the only child I had. I have no siblings. He was the only thing I had. My family, the Mngunis and the Tshabalalas [from the father’s side of the family] gave me strength to come here each day. She told lies from day one,” Lerato said.
“In her contract [she signed from the agency], by next of kin she said she had a husband. Surprisingly, her, the sister and he all share the same surname,” said Lerato.
“She told me lies from day one,” she added. “We have accepted that the child is gone but I hope one day God will give her the strength to tell me what happened to my child. She never showed any remorse.”
