A Soweto resident who allegedly drugged four-year-old Keeya Mbulawa and stuffed her in a luggage bag appeared in the Protea magistrate's court on Friday.

Nonhle Matsebula, believed to be from Swaziland, who is charged with premeditated murder and kidnapping, appeared in court briefly before the case was postponed to April 19 for further investigations.

Residents from Protea Glen filled the court gallery in solidarity with the Mbulawa family. 

The court heard the state needs to verify her status in South Africa and her identity and is awaiting the results of the postmortem.  

Matsebula said she had lost her passport and would require assistance from legal aid to represent her. 

She was a tenant on a property occupied by Mbulawa's family. On January 13, she allegedly tried to board an e-hailing taxi with the unconscious girl inside her luggage.

Keeya's hands and feet were tied and a cloth was tucked inside her mouth. She was rushed to hospital but died four days later.

The family's spokesperson, advocate Miller Moela, said they were relieved the suspect was apprehended and brought before court.

“This person comes from another country and the family was not sure whether they would find justice. We were not sure whether she was still in the country.

“The family thank South Africans in general but Protea people in particular, because these are the people who tracked down the suspect and informed the police,” Moela said. 

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