The Atteridgeville Magistrates Court in Pretoria is today expected to deliver a verdict on the bail application of the two women charged with the deaths of five children who were burnt inside a shack in the Itireleng informal settlement near Laudium last month.
Sisters Lindiwe and Zanele Machaka are facing five counts of culpable homicide and one of child neglect. Lindiwe is the grandmother of two of the children who are aged one and two.
Zanele is the mother of the other three children aged four, five and six.
It is alleged that the two women locked the five children inside their shack and went to a nearby tavern.
While they were out, the shack caught fire and all the children were burnt beyond recognition.
They’ve asked to be released on bail of R500 each.
However, the magistrate wants to grant them bail of R5 000 due to the gravity of the offence.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says, “The matter was then postponed to 15 September 2023, for a report from the Department of Correctional Services to check if the two sisters are suitable to be placed under correctional supervision after bail is granted.”
VIDEO | Laudium Policing Forum call for charges against mothers who neglected children killed in shack fire:
