A 43-year-old Zimbabwean woman has been convicted in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court of murdering her two young children by poisoning them at a public park in Parktown nearly three years ago.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Lister Nkomo was found guilty on two counts of murder over the deaths of her two-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son.
The children died on 3 June 2023 at Empire Park in Johannesburg after ingesting poison given to them by their mother.
Evidence led during the trial showed that Nkomo phoned her sister on the day of the incident, saying she was in trouble and intended to kill herself and the children.
Alarmed, the sister alerted their father, who rushed to the park. On arrival, he found both children lying motionless. Paramedics declared them dead at the scene. Nkomo was found unconscious nearby after allegedly taking poison herself.
She was taken to the hospital for treatment and survived. After her recovery, she was placed under police guard and suicide watch before being formally arrested.
Post-mortem examinations confirmed that both children died from poisoning. A State forensic analyst testified that the substance used was capable of causing death in humans.
Nkomo chose not to testify during the trial. Acting Regional Court Prosecutor Terry Hlongwane argued that the evidence showed she had administered the poison to the children.
In delivering judgment, the magistrate ruled that, with no explanation from Nkomo, the only reasonable inference was that she had poisoned them.
The matter was postponed for a pre-sentence report to be prepared before sentencing proceedings continue.
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