Pretoria Community Mourns as Woman Faces Murder Charge in Shooting of Five-Year-Old Boy
Temba, Hammanskraal – A cloud of grief hangs over the community of Temba, north of Pretoria, following the tragic death of five-year-old Obakeng Minyuku. The Grade R boy was fatally struck by a bullet on Saturday, allegedly discharged by a woman testing a firearm in her yard.
Tselane Lebogang Mautla, 38, has been arrested and charged with Obakeng's murder. She made her first appearance at the Moretele magistrate’s court yesterday, where the public gallery was packed with members of the community. Mautla became emotional as Magistrate TA Mokgwatlheng postponed the matter to February 4 for a formal bail application. The magistrate informed her that she faces a potential 15-year sentence for murder, but could face life imprisonment if the court finds that the murder was premeditated.
According to neighbours, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mautla was allegedly showing the gun to friends when it went off. One neighbour claimed to have heard that Mautla had recently acquired the firearm and had gone to a sports field earlier that day to test it.
"She went to a soccer field earlier that Saturday and fired several shots into the air to test the gun," the neighbour alleged. "That day, she went back home to her friends. The child was coming back from the shop and was next to the accused’s house when a bullet went off."
At the time of the shooting, Obakeng was walking past Mautla’s house, returning from a tuckshop. Another neighbour recounted that after Mautla realised what had happened, she took the child to a clinic. Tragically, Obakeng succumbed to his injuries at the clinic.
"We are hurt as neighbours. You can’t practise how to use a gun in the middle of a community where children are playing," the second neighbour lamented.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that a case was opened at the Temba police station after the boy was shot dead, and that Mautla was arrested on Sunday. Asked whether the firearm was licensed, Nevhuhulwi stated that this would form part of the police investigation.
Obakeng’s aunt, Mmapula Minyuku, described the devastating scene following the shooting. Children who were nearby initially thought the loud bang was caused by firecrackers, until they saw him collapse to the ground and called for help.
Minyuku, who was not at home when the incident occurred, remembered Obakeng as a playful and energetic child who was excited about starting school. "Going to school made him very happy because last year he was not yet attending school and stayed at home," Minyuko said, her voice heavy with sorrow.
"Now we will never know his full potential – whether he would have been a lawyer, a soldier, or something else. We were robbed."
Another family member, who was present in court and also requested anonymity, shared that she had been told Mautla claimed she was being chased by people as she returned from a park, which prompted her to discharge her firearm.
"People initially thought it was firecrackers until they saw the boy lying down. That is what I was told. The family is heartbroken," she said, visibly distressed, before the accused appeared in court.
The incident has left the community reeling, grappling with the senseless loss of a young life and the circumstances surrounding the tragic event. The investigation is ongoing, and the community awaits answers as they mourn the loss of young Obakeng.
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