A woman, accused of selling her two-year-old son, has abandoned her bail application.
The matter has been remanded to January 27, 2025 for further investigations.
The 32-year-old woman appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, and providing false information to the police.
"The charges arise from allegations that the woman sold her two-year-old son, Kutloano Shalaba, to unidentified individuals on November 10. Three days later, on November 13, she reported a false case to the police, claiming her child had been kidnapped by unknown men in a vehicle," explained National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana.
She said police investigations exposed inconsistencies in the woman's version of events and she later confessed to police that she lied about the kidnapping.
She was arrested on November 19 and has been in police custody ever since.
Mahanjana said the whereabouts of the toddler remains unknown.
"The investigation to find him and bring those involved to justice is ongoing," the NPA said.
Police urge anyone with information on the wherabouts of the child to come forward and contact the Branch commander Captain Mokgoto on 082 778 7937 or Sergeant Thembeka Maxambela on 079 695 1338. Alternatively members of the public can call #CrimeStop on 08600 10111 or submit information on the #MySAPSApp.
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