Bonginkosi Mokoena, a 25-year-old man from the Free State province of South Africa, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the tragic death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old son, whom he killed after the child soiled himself.
According to police spokesperson W/O Mmako Mophiring, the incident occurred on June 5 of the previous year while the child’s mother was away from home. Mokoena reportedly subjected the toddler, Bophelo Moballane, to severe abuse, including whipping him with a stick, kicking him, and submerging him in a basin filled with cold water. Mokoena and his girlfriend then went to bed without checking on the child’s wellbeing.
The following day, they discovered the toddler was unresponsive and took him to a local clinic, where police and emergency services were called. Tragically, the child was pronounced dead upon arrival, leading to Mokoena’s arrest later that day.
On March 19, Mokoena received his sentence and was also deemed unfit to own a firearm or work with children in the future.
On the same day, the Northern Cape High Court found Henry Manolo guilty of culpable homicide in the death of his three-month-old child, Henzo. The court also convicted him of assaulting the child’s mother.
During the incident, Manolo and his girlfriend were arguing while under the influence of alcohol. In a fit of rage, he pushed her, causing her to fall backward with Henzo still strapped to her back. He then forcibly took the baby, resulting in Henzo falling onto the tarred road, and fled the scene carrying the infant.
The next day, while the mother was away, Manolo returned home and placed Henzo’s lifeless body on a couch before departing again.
