Kutlwano allegedly killed for being the ‘wrong gender’

The community of Boipatong, in the Vaal, is reeling from shock following harrowing revelations in the case linked to the disappearance and murder of two-year-old, Kutlwano Shalaba.

His 33-year-old mother, Keneilwe Shalaba, is accused of playing a role in his murder and disappearance.

She appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on Monday with her co-accused, Sebokoana Khounyana, who is a sangoma.

Khounyana confessed to killing the little boy with the help of his mother, before leading police to a shallow grave at Waterpan Road in Bekkersdal, Randfontein.

They now two face charges of premeditated murder, kidnapping, and human trafficking, among others.

The sangoma told the court that he intends to plead guilty to the devastating crime.

To the shock of those at court, he alleged that Shalaba poisoned her child because she had been living a lie. She was apparently not happy with the toddler’s gender and was tired of hiding the fact that Kutlwano was a girl not a boy as she had initially claimed.

The 33-year-old was arrested after she allegedly confessed to selling Kutlwano for R75 000, which she received on the day the child was reported missing.

This was after she allegedly tried to fool the authorities, claiming that unknown men had kidnapped Kutlwano while she was walking at Batloung Street in Boipatong.

A community member, who attended the court proceedings, expressed shock at the revelations in court, saying the 33-year-old seemed to share a special bond with her son.

Another community member says that Shalaba’s love for money has proven to be her downfall.

 

As the country marks Child Protection week, this case has once again brought to the spotlight the plight of abused children in the country.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, says results of a postmortem will inform the prosecuting team’s way forward in the matter.

The state intends to oppose bail for Khounyana, while Shalaba remains in custody after being denied bail in February.

The matter returns to court on the 5th of June.

 

Troubled by the Kutlwano Shalaba case where a mother worked with a sangoma to kill her 2 year old son over the child’s gender. The mother got R75k in her account on the day the boy was reported missing.

This echoes cases like Joshlin Smith’s. SA needs an intervention. pic.twitter.com/GnFN4PFNyP

— All Things Current Affairs (@A_T_C_A) June 2, 2025

Joslyn Smith and Kutlwano Shalaba cases are giving clear indication on the reason why there’s high rate of kids disappearing mysteriously. Kids are being sold by their mothers for muti.

— Oscarllcoolj (@oscar_oskidos) May 29, 2025