Two women who are accused of murdering two 10-year-old boys in Clairwood, south of Durban, in November last year have appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Amahle Maliwa, 28, and Liziwe Ngwayishe, 33, are accused of the murder of Njabulo Mankayi and his friend, Luyanda Msomi.
Magistrate Thembinkosi Ngema adjourned the matter to July 4 to ascertain which court their trial would be heard in between the Durban Magistrate's Court and the High Court in Durban.
Mankayi's decomposing body was found on November 13 in the Grunter Gully Canal in Bayhead, south of Durban, and Msomi's body was found in a bush in Montclair, Durban, two days earlier.
The women are charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, kidnapping and murder.
Mankayi and Msomi were both Grade 3 pupils at Clairwood Boys Primary School and were last seen alive on November 9, boarding a school bus which was meant to take them back home.
Suspects kept in custody
Mankayi's father Thandaza Mankayi previously told News24 that he had been in a romantic relationship with one of the accused, Maliwa.
He said he suspected that the boys were killed because he had ended the three-year long relationship on October 14, roughly a month before the children's bodies were found.
The reason he had decided to end the relationship was because Maliwa had begun "disrespecting" his marriage, he said.
He explained that they had an understanding that she would not interfere in his marriage and that she would not contact his family.
He said she had broken that agreement and became disrespectful towards him and his wife.
Both Maliwa and Ngwayishe will remain in police custody until their next appearance.