South African Mother Accused of Selling Her Daughter to a Witch Doctor for Ritual Killing
In a deeply disturbing case that has shaken South Africa to its core, a 33-year-old mother is accused of selling her two-year-old daughter to a sangoma—also known as a traditional healer or "witch doctor"—for ritual purposes. The toddler’s lifeless body was later discovered buried in a shallow grave near an abandoned mine shaft.
On Monday, June 2, 2025, the mother, Kuneuwe Shalaba, and the alleged sangoma, Sebokoana Khounyana, appeared in court, facing multiple charges, including premeditated murder, human trafficking, and making false statements to the police. The court proceedings have triggered national outrage and renewed concerns over the use of children in ritual killings across South Africa.
Child Disappears Under Mysterious Circumstances
The heartbreaking story began in February 2024, when Kuneuwe Shalaba reported that her young child had been kidnapped. According to her initial police report, three unknown men abducted the child outside their home in Saldanha Bay, a coastal town near Cape Town. She claimed the kidnappers drove off in a Volkswagen Golf, disappearing without a trace.
Shalaba told police that her missing child was a boy, giving the name Kutlwano. However, as the investigation progressed, glaring inconsistencies in her story began to emerge. Under further questioning, she finally admitted the truth: Kutlwano was a girl, not a boy, and the abduction story was fabricated.
A Mother’s Desperation or a Calculated Crime?
Police grew suspicious when they discovered that just two hours before Shalaba reported the alleged kidnapping, a large sum of money—about £3,100 (roughly ₦6.5 million)—was deposited into her bank account. Detectives confronted her about the deposit, but she was unable to explain where the money had come from or why it was sent to her.
At this point, investigators began to suspect that the child’s disappearance was no ordinary kidnapping. It appeared that Shalaba, a mother of five who was struggling financially, may have sold her daughter for ritual purposes.
“This is not just a case of financial hardship. It points to a much darker crime, one rooted in a deeply troubling practice where children are sacrificed for supposed spiritual gain,” a source close to the investigation said.
Police Trace Leads to a Sangoma in Johannesburg
As the investigation intensified, police analyzed Shalaba’s phone records and discovered multiple calls to a local sangoma operating out of a taxi rank in Johannesburg. The traditional healer, Sebokoana Khounyana, aged 50, was later arrested on May 29, 2025, after police obtained enough evidence linking him to the case.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, Khounyana confessed to the crime shortly after his arrest. He led detectives to an abandoned mine in Randfontein, a small mining town west of Johannesburg, where the body of the toddler was discovered buried in a shallow grave.
Police are now conducting a forensic post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death and whether any body parts were harvested, which would indicate the child was murdered for ritual purposes.
“She Requested That He Kill Her” – Shocking Court Testimony
Perhaps the most horrifying part of the case came during courtroom proceedings, where it was revealed that Shalaba allegedly asked the sangoma to kill her daughter because she was unhappy with her gender.
“She was tired of hiding the gender from her family that the child was a girl. The mother then allegedly fed the baby poison and after that the baby died and the two buried her in a shallow grave.”
The court also learned that Kutlwano was dressed as a boy and introduced to relatives and neighbors as a male. Prosecutors allege the murder took place on November 10, 2024, and the false kidnapping report was filed three days later, on November 13.
Arrests and Court Proceedings
Shalaba was eventually arrested on November 19, 2024, at her home in Boipatong township, about 55 miles south of Johannesburg. The skeletal remains of her daughter were discovered in May 2025, confirming suspicions that the child had been killed and buried months earlier.
Both Shalaba and Khounyana are facing the following charges:
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Premeditated murder
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Human trafficking
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Conspiracy to commit robbery
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Providing false information to the police
The state has already opposed bail for Shalaba, and prosecutors have confirmed that they will do the same for Khounyana when he returns to court on June 5, 2025.
“In court today, the matter was postponed to 05 June 2025 for legal representation to be found for the sangoma. The state intends to oppose his release on bail and previously denied the mother’s release on bail,” said Mahanjana.
A Deeper Crisis: Child Murders in South Africa
This shocking case has brought renewed attention to a deeply rooted problem in South Africa: ritual killings of children. According to human rights groups and crime analysts, over 1,000 children are murdered each year in the country. Alarmingly, experts fear that up to a third of those cases may involve the harvesting of body parts for use in traditional rituals or muthi (African medicine).
“Child protection systems are overwhelmed, and cultural beliefs around muthi continue to put vulnerable children at risk,” says a representative from a child welfare organization in Johannesburg.
In many communities, some still believe that human body parts—particularly those of children—can bring wealth, protection, or success when used in rituals conducted by sangomas. While the majority of traditional healers do not engage in such practices, a small but dangerous minority continue to exploit these beliefs for financial gain.
Who Is Kuneuwe Shalaba?
Locals in Boipatong describe Shalaba as a loan shark who also buys and sells second-hand clothes to make ends meet. She has two other children, aged 6 and 9, who are now in the care of relatives. She is also reportedly separated from her husband.
Despite her financial struggles, many residents expressed disbelief at the allegation that she could commit such a horrific act.
“I knew she was having a hard time, but to sell your child? That’s something no one around here could have imagined,” a neighbor told local media.
A Nation Demands Justice
As the June 5 court date approaches, South Africans across the country are watching closely, demanding justice for little Kutlwano. Her tragic story has sparked conversations around the safety of children, the influence of cultural beliefs, and the urgent need for stronger law enforcement against ritual killings.
This case serves as a painful reminder that more needs to be done to protect vulnerable children from abuse, exploitation, and death at the hands of those they trust the most—even their own parents.
