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STILL SHOCKED: Mmatlala Setatu's aunt Keitumetse Tlakale

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On Monday Mmatlala Setatu of Mocoseng village near Mahikeng took her two daughters to Tontonyane Dam, about 5km from her home.

She allegedly threw her eldest daughter, who was eight, into the dam and then herself, while holding her four-year-old in her arms.

The police, who were called to the scene, managed to rescue her and her youngest daughter, but it was too late for the eldest daughter, who was discovered six hours later by divers.

Yesterday Setatu appeared at the Mmabatho Magistrate's Court and her case was postponed for bail application.

No one in her family had suspected that their long weekend would end on such a sad note.

Her aunt, Keitumetse Tlakale, said on Sunday the family had been having a great time at a relative's wedding. She said Setatu had attended with the kids.

"She was just as jolly as always."

Tlakale said on Sunday night, Setatu had a heated argument with her young sister Mosetsanagape Setatu about her (Mmatlala's) health.

"On Monday morning she took all her pills and threw them away and then took the kids to the dam," she said.

Setatu was unemployed, but was receiving the children's social grants. The father of her children died in 2009 and she lost her parents five years ago.

Tlakalesaid: "She is the only one who can tell us what happened".

On Tuesday classmates of the eight-year-old child at Ga Israel Primary School were in tears after hearing the news of their fellow pupil's death.

The girl's class teacher, Edith Maape, said: "I could not teach them. The whole class was crying".

Maape said the young girl was a quiet and needy child.

"She was a slow learner, but very co-operative in class."

The surviving child is still shaken. The family have taken her to a clinic, which said the girl should be admitted to a hospital for anxiety.

- tshehleb@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Mon May 20 08:59:52 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 27, 2012

candilious

Scary sh!t danm woman ..................sad RIP little one
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Sep 27, 2012

Zee_R

Swimming lessons should be compulsory for children in rural areas. If the poor child knew how to swim, the outcome could have been different. There are far too many stories of people and children drowing in dams, it is tragic and a waste of life
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Sep 27, 2012

Chichi7

We bring forth children into this world through hardship and pain and this is what we do to the labour we endured? where is the world coming to?

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Sep 27, 2012

goodvibes

why cant people give their kids up for adoption mara or leave them at orphanages if they dont want them...can you imagine what the poor gal was thinking and going through. #sadsigh

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Sep 27, 2012

warry

Mbalula has since promise of building facilities then took malema to London to programme himnon how best to swear at Zuma. He was repeating that subject, cause first lesson at ANC political school is how best to swear at opposition parties.
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Sep 27, 2012

Papage

Is it true that she is HIV Positive and her CD4 count is dropping? I think Sowetan must get the facts before sending such stories to print.
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Sep 27, 2012

Cumbersome

"On Monday morning she took all her pills and threw them away and then took the kids to the dam" That were the signs of a suicidal person. It needs an educated person to see the signs. The argument between the sisters can clarify what was happening in her life. Did I hear anythng about health? I agree with Papage
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