• A 14-month-old toddler was strangled to death in an abandoned house near Thohoyandou, allegedly by his father.

• The mother survived the attack and is in hospital while the father runs from the police.

A father allegedly killed his baby boy and attacked the child’s mother in Mphego village outside Thohoyandou over the weekend.

Little Ndingatshilidzi Manwatha, just 14 months old, was found dead in an empty house on Saturday.

He was covered with a blue jacket and had blood coming from his nose and ears. There were wounds on both of his legs.

Police spokesperson Vuledzani Dathi said the toddler was strangled after his parents, both in their twenties, had a fight. The reason for the fight is still unknown.

The baby’s grandfather, Tshinyadzeni Manwatha, told Scrolla.Africa the family can’t believe what happened.

“It is difficult to process the whole ordeal and to understand and accept what has just happened. It’s been almost two days now, but still I cannot believe it, and it is difficult for all of us as a family to understand this,” said Manwatha.

“It is so painful to start the new year with such sad news. We were looking forward to a perfect year, but our 2025 has already been dampened by this incident.”

After killing the baby, the father kidnapped the child’s mother. Police found her on Sunday and took her to hospital.

The father is still on the run from law enforcement agencies. Dathi said he has other cases against him.

“We are just grateful that my daughter was found on Sunday evening by the police. Though she is not well, we are finding solace that she is getting the much-needed medical attention at a local hospital,” said Manwatha.

The young couple weren’t living together. The mother and baby stayed with her aunt.

“Though we are still confused and hurting, we are pleading with the community and the police to work together to ensure that the suspect is arrested,” said Manwatha. “Maybe that will bring us closure as he may be able to tell us why he did what he did.”

In September, local groups fighting gender violence told Scrolla.Africa they were worried about how police handled these cases in Vhembe. Many cases aren’t properly investigated or taken to court.

Anyone with information can call investigating officer Captain Takalani Siaga on 082 469 2302.

Pictured above: The suspect, whose name is yet to be made public by the police.

Source: Supplied