Mother who sold child for 75k appears in court

THE case of a two-year-old boy who went missing under disturbing circumstances has returned to court, drawing national attention and sparking public outrage.

- SIFISO MAHLANGU [e-mail]

Keneilwe Shalaba, the mother of the child, appeared before the Van-derbijlpark Magistrate's Court this week, facing serious charges of human trafficking and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Shalaba is accused of selling her son, Kutlwano Shalaba, who disappeared in November last year. According to inves-tigators, the toddler was allegedly sold for R75 000, and the funds were deposited into his mother’s bank account on the very day he vanished.

The child’s body was discovered last week, months after an intensive search that left the community heartbroken and desperate for answers. The grim discovery brought a tragic end to hopes that the boy might still be alive.