An Eastern Cape father accused of poisoning his three children to death at the weekend cut a nervous figure in the Libode magistrate’s court dock on Monday.
Avoiding eye contact with the few people in court, Sindisile Thathani, 42, quietly told the court he would apply for Legal Aid representation.
The three children — boys Kungawo, 8, and Sipho, 4, and daughter Sinakekele, 6, died in Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha on Friday and Saturday.
It is alleged Thathani fed them chocolates coated with a fumigant pesticide called tank-pill at their grandmother’s home in Magcakini village on Friday morning.
Ten chickens that ate the children’s vomit also died.
Eastern Cape dad accused of killing three kids has to wait for Legal Aid
Image: FILE
An Eastern Cape father accused of poisoning his three children to death at the weekend cut a nervous figure in the Libode magistrate’s court dock on Monday.
Avoiding eye contact with the few people in court, Sindisile Thathani, 42, quietly told the court he would apply for Legal Aid representation.
The three children — boys Kungawo, 8, and Sipho, 4, and daughter Sinakekele, 6, died in Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha on Friday and Saturday.
It is alleged Thathani fed them chocolates coated with a fumigant pesticide called tank-pill at their grandmother’s home in Magcakini village on Friday morning.
Ten chickens that ate the children’s vomit also died.
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Thathani was arrested at his parents’ home in Ntabenteyisi village on Saturday morning.
He told the court he was a first-time offender and he wanted Legal Aid representation, but no attorneys were available.
Prosecutor Fezile Makunga told the court the Legal Aid offices in Mthatha were closed due to Covid-19.
''The Legal Aid offices are in the PRD building, which houses many government department offices, including the SAPS. The whole PRD building is closed due to positive coronavirus cases.
“The Legal Aid attorneys have not had access to the office and could not be here to take any instructions.''
Makunga is opposing Thathani's bid for bail.
The matter was postpone to June 1 in the hope that by then the PRD building will be open.
The children were staying with their grandmother, Nozuzile Lubuzo, 56, as their mother, Noncedo Yandiswa Lubuzo-Thethana, 31, was in Cape Town looking for work.
She returned on Sunday.
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The Lubozo family and the community of Magcekani want Thathani to be denied bail.
Lubuzo-Thathani told DispatchLIVE she could not stay married to her husband after what had happened. She fears he may try harm her if he is released on bail.
Family spokesperson Nkosekhaya Bangani said the Lubuzo and Thathani families were making funeral arrangements together.
Bangani said they had agreed the children should be buried at their father’s home since the couple were married.
No funeral date has been set a yet.
''We are all devastated by this.
“The mother of the children is still distraught and could not accept that all her children have been [allegedly] killed by their own biological father.
“But I am happy we are working together with our in-laws,'' said Bangani.
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