The grandparents of missing Limpopo toddler Omphile Sithole will spend the next week behind bars before their formal bail application is heard.
Vinolia Mabuela, 52, and Jacob Ledwaba, 55, made their first appearance in the Mahwelereng Magistrate’s Court on Monday afternoon.
The pair was arrested on Friday, nearly two weeks after the two-year-old was reported missing.
Omphile was reportedly snatched on May 2 while sleeping next to her grandmother at their Ga-Mabuela home in Limpopo.
While prosecutors have not yet disclosed what they believe happened on the day the toddler disappeared, the state has levelled serious charges of neglect against the couple.
The state alleges that Mabuela and Ledwaba abandoned and failed to provide adequate care for their grandchild between January and May.
Prosecutor Dimakatso Thanyane argued that the accused are not suitable candidates for bail and confirmed that the state will oppose their release, citing the interests of justice. Conversely, the couple’s Legal Aid attorney informed the court that the accused can only afford bail of R300 each.
Magistrate Maureen Ngobeni postponed the matter to May 25, for a formal bail application. Ngobeni stressed that because of the nature of the charges, the onus rests on the accused to prove that their release on bail would, in fact, be in the interest of justice.
Nkosikhona Malinga-Mnisi
www.ewn.co.za
