Arrested mother accused of selling son abandons bail

A woman accused of selling her two-year-old son Kutlwano Shalaba appeared in the Vanderbijlpark magistrate’s court on Friday where she abandoned her bail application.

The 32-year-old Keneiwe Portia Shalaba appeared in the dock after 11am after her advocate Thabelo Tshitaka failed to appear on time.

The court was packed with community members and Shabala's family.

After consulting with his client, Tshitaka informed the court his client had decided to not proceed with bail. 

The matter has then been remanded to January 27 2025 for further investigation and instructions from the director of public prosecution on whether to move the matter to the high court.

Shalaba is facing charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, and making a false statement to the police.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the charges stem from allegations that, on November 10, she sold her son to unidentified individuals and reported a false statement three days later by claiming that her son had been kidnapped by unknown men in a vehicle.

“During the police investigation, it was uncovered that the kidnapping claim was false. The woman later confessed to fabricating the story. She was subsequently arrested on November 19 and has been in custody since her arrest. The whereabouts of the child remains unknown, and police efforts to locate him are ongoing,” said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.

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