Keneilwe Shalaba, the mother accused of selling her two-year-old son Kutlwano, is set to appear in court today.
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The brief proceedings will determine whether the state has made sufficient progress in gathering evidence to proceed with prosecution or if further delays will occur.
Shalaba, who has been incarcerated since abandoning her bail application in November 2024, faces charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, and making a false police statement.
Today’s appearance hinges on the state’s ability to present concrete evidence against Shalaba.
Investigators are racing against time to locate Kutlwano, who has been missing for over two months. Without significant breakthroughs, the court may be forced to postpone proceedings to allow authorities to strengthen their case.
The stakes are high, as the unresolved case has left the child’s father and the community in anguish.
Shalaba’s lack of cooperation with the investigation has compounded the challenges for authorities.
What the evidence reveals so far
Authorities began investigating Shalaba after inconsistencies in her story raised suspicions about her involvement in her son’s disappearance.
According to police, Shalaba initially claimed that Kutlwano was abducted on 13 November 2024, by three unknown men driving a silver VW Polo on Batloung Street in Boipatong.
However, investigators uncovered suspicious behaviour that contradicted her claims.
Three days before the alleged abduction, Shalaba informed her landlord of plans to travel to Durban.
Instead of actively aiding in the search for her son after filing the missing person report, she travelled to Qwa-Qwa, Free State, to consult a sangoma.
Shalaba later confessed to selling her child but has since provided investigators with conflicting accounts, naming multiple individuals she allegedly handed Kutlwano to.
Each lead has resulted in dead ends, leaving the child’s whereabouts unknown.
Police sources described her as uncooperative and accused her of fabricating stories, including pointing fingers at the child’s grandmother.
Kutlwano’s father, who has been actively assisting police with the investigation, expressed deep despair over the case in an interview with Sowetan in December 2024. He revealed that he had been holding onto hope for a ransom demand but had received no such communication.
“I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I thought maybe they kidnapped him for ransom, but there has been no call asking me for ransom,” he said.
Despite the circumstances, he remains hopeful that Kutlwano is alive and well.
“The fact that she [Shalaba] is accused of selling the child does not sit well with me. Why would she do that? But I can’t get any answers at all,” he added.