A 49-year-old woman from the Eastern Cape has been sentenced to 17 years behind bars after she was found guilty of beating a 19-months-old baby to death with a stick.
The Eastern Cape High Court in Bhisho sentenced Ncedeni Qwabe on Thursday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Qwabe had a love affair with the child's uncle, Sityebi Ndziba, and they were taking care of the baby while her mother worked in Cape Town.
"On 27 July 2020, at their home in Keiskammahoek, Qwabe assaulted the baby with a peach tree stick because the child had messed the floor with water while she was being bathed," NPA spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said in a statement.
The baby died during the evening due to internal injuries and blood loss.
During the trial, Qwabe initially said she had hit the child lightly with a cloth. However, during cross-examination by the prosecutor Louis Sinclair, she revealed that she had beat the child with a stick.
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