Thembela Khamango and Ziyanda Ndyoko

Thembela Khamango and Ziyanda Ndyoko

A year-long feud between neighbours has resulted in a mother and daughter being badly burnt.

Zukiswa Siphika, 35, and her daughter Lusanda Siphika, 16, of Orlando East, Soweto, were allegedly scalded with boiling water by their neighbour last week

According to Siphika, she and Lusanda had been removing water from a furrow in front of their shack with a bucket.

She said she sent her daughter to wash the bucket under an outside tap.

"While she was washing the bucket, the water spilt onto a neighbour's shack and a quarrel started between her and the neighbour's grandchildren.

"She ran back to tell me that they were swearing at her and accusing her of being a witch," Siphika said.

"I told her to ignore them because they had had a fight last year which has not been resolved," she said.

Siphika said that when she later sent Lusanda to get water from the tap her daughter was attacked by the neighbour's grandchildren. She heard the noise outside and went to investigate.

"When I came out my neighbour and her two granddaughters were beating Lusanda and pulling her into their shack," Siphika said.

She ran to rescue her daughter and her 63-year-old neighbour allegedly threw boiling water over her and her daughter.

Siphika said she laid a charge against her neighbour and the woman was arrested on Friday.

"I was surprised to see her back on Saturday, but when I called the investigating officer he said they could not keep her in a holding cell because of her age."

Superintendent Thembi Nkwashu said the police were investigating the case.