Family weeps as court hears Clairwood boys strangled, poisoned
Friends and family members of slain Clairwood boys, Luyanda Msomi and Njabulo Mankayi wept in the gallery of the Durban Magistrate’s Court, when they heard how the boys were poisoned with antiseptic before they were strangled to death.
A post-mortem shows the 10-year-old best friends had potassium permanganate - a chemical compound, similar to chlorine - in their systems when they died and cites the cause of death for both as strangulation.
These details are contained in investigating officer, Detective Marius van der Looy’s affidavit - which was read out in court in opposition of bail for the woman accused of planning the boys’ murder.
Amahle Maliwa, 28, had initially abandoned bail after she was arrested in November but then decided to make a fresh bid yesterday.
Magistrate Mahomed Motala, however, dismissed the application.
In her affidavit, which was also read out, Maliwa says she can not work while in custody and that she contributes financially towards raising seven children - four of her own as well as three nieces and nephews.
Her lawyer, Anele Mveku, yesterday labeled the State’s case as “weak” and said it relied on circumstantial evidence.
ALSO READ: Classmates say Clairwood boys were good, respectable
Motala, however, maintains that it is not in the interests of justice that Maliwa be released.
“I can’t over emphasise that as I take into account your children and their interests, the deceased in this case were also children - two ten-year-old boys - and I must also take into account their interests,” he told her yesterday.
He also says as per the State’s case, Njabulo - who was her ex-boyfriend’s child - was her target and she only killed Luyanda because he was a witness.
Luyanda and Njabulo disappeared after they were seen boarding a bus, on their way home from school.
Two days later, police recovered Luyanda’s bruised and battered body from dense bush in Montclair.
And two days after that, they found Njabulo’s body at the Durban harbour.
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