‘She filmed their distress’: Mother who poisoned her two children gets double life sentence

A Gauteng mother who poisoned both her kids has been handed a double life sentence. 

Nonkululeko Mbatha, 44, was convicted of the premeditated murder of her two minor children in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, sitting at Palm Ridge, this week. 

The court heard that on 5 February 2025, Mbatha poisoned food and fed it to her children, aged nine and seven months, at their home in Zuurbekom, Westonaria.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) the infant died at the scene.

The older child was taken to hospital, where he died on 11 February 2025.

Mbatha also consumed some of the poisoned food in an apparent attempt to take her own life, but survived.

"An investigation led by Sergeant Mokgalagadi of Westonaria SAPS revealed that, before the killings, Mbatha bought several packets of poison and food from a local takeaway.

"She mixed the poison with the food and fed it to her children. The court further heard that she took photographs and videos of the children while they were in distress and shared them with family members and friends.

"She also left a suicide note addressed to the father of one of the children."

Senior State Advocate Rolene Barnard argued for harsher sentences, submitting that Mbatha had abused the trust placed in her as a parent and deliberately killed her children after taking several preparatory steps.

She argued that recording the children’s final moments was an aggravating factor, and that Mbatha’s suicide attempt should neither lessen her sentence nor relieve her of responsibility.

In her judgment, Judge Mfenyana found that Mbatha  had more than one opportunity to change her mind.

The judge noted that the children were vulnerable and trusted their mother to care for them.

The NPA welcomed the sentence. 

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