Kutlwano Shalaba found after Sangoma reveals where she was buried

As SA marked the start of Child Protection Week last Thursday, disturbing allegations came in the disappearance of two-year-old Kutlwano Shalaba.

His mother, Keneilwe Shalaba, is accused of killing him with the help of a sangoma, who reportedly made the startling claims to police and led them to a shallow grave near the R28 in Bekkersdal, Randfontein, on the West Rand, where skeletal remains believed to be those of Kutlwano were discovered.

Sources close to the police say that Shalaba, already believed to have lied about her son’s disappearance in November last year, allegedly fed the child milk laced with poison while the sangoma watched, before burying her.

The sangoma was arrested on Thursday after he led the police to the shallow grave at Waterpan.

” Apparently, she attempted to kill the child even before he was born, but did not succeed, ”
– Source

The gruesome discovery was made on the same day the country began its commemoration of Child Protection Week on May 29. The week of observance will end this Thursday.

Earlier this month, the department of social development revealed that 26,852 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in the 2024/25 financial year, highlighting the blight of child abuse in the country.

Police have been on the sangoma’s tail for days before he was arrested, and according to sources, it did not take long for him to confess to being part of the crime.

Sowetan revealed that the sangoma has since detailed what happened to Kutlwano, including his involvement.

He is expected to appear in court today, along with Shalaba. The pair is facing charges of murder and human trafficking.

According to sources close to the investigation, Shalaba and the 50-year-old sangoma were linked through cellphone records, which also placed them at Bekkersdal at the same time on November 10.

This was three days before Kutlwano’s mom reported her son missing to the police.

The two are believed to have been in constant communication leading up to the day when the child was murdered.

Another source told Sowetan that the sangoma confessed to having seen Shalaba putting poison into the child’s milk bottle and feeding it to him at the abandoned mine where he was later buried.

It is believed Shalaba was the sangoma’s long-time client and would consult with him at a taxi rank in Vanderbijlpark.