News / Africa
Love triangle blamed for family poisoning
03 Dec 2013 at 07:22hrs | Views
Bloemfontein - South Africa police in Free State believe that a man's advances towards his wife's 16-year-old sister may have been the motivation for a family poisoning in which five people died and two were hospitalised.
According to Sapa, five people were found dead on a farm near Bothaville early on Monday after a neighbour alerted police to their non-stop vomiting.
Volksblad reported on Tuesday that the fast-acting poison Aldicarb was found inside pots of food.
Andries Makoko, 30, apparently woke a neighbouring farm worker to say everyone in his family was unconscious. He then died in front of the neighbour's house.
When police arrived, they found his wife Emily, 24, dead in the kitchen. Her sister, Dimakatso, 23, was found dead on the floor next to a bed. The bodies of two children, aged 1 and 6, were also found in the house.
Two other children - a baby and a 10-year-old - were admitted to the Nala hospital, and were in a satisfactory condition.
Heartbroken
Makoko's father, Michael, told Volksblad he was heartbroken about what happened.
The mayor of Nala, Oubooi Mogoje, visited the scene and expressed his shock at what happened, saying there are other solutions to such disputes, and social workers are also there to help in such situations.
According to the report, Makoko and his wife started arguing last Friday after Makoko apparently made advances on his wife's younger sister. The teenager was sent to another family over the weekend.
The house was cordoned off, awaiting for experts to remove the poison.
Police are investigating.
According to Sapa, five people were found dead on a farm near Bothaville early on Monday after a neighbour alerted police to their non-stop vomiting.
Volksblad reported on Tuesday that the fast-acting poison Aldicarb was found inside pots of food.
Andries Makoko, 30, apparently woke a neighbouring farm worker to say everyone in his family was unconscious. He then died in front of the neighbour's house.
When police arrived, they found his wife Emily, 24, dead in the kitchen. Her sister, Dimakatso, 23, was found dead on the floor next to a bed. The bodies of two children, aged 1 and 6, were also found in the house.
Two other children - a baby and a 10-year-old - were admitted to the Nala hospital, and were in a satisfactory condition.
Makoko's father, Michael, told Volksblad he was heartbroken about what happened.
The mayor of Nala, Oubooi Mogoje, visited the scene and expressed his shock at what happened, saying there are other solutions to such disputes, and social workers are also there to help in such situations.
According to the report, Makoko and his wife started arguing last Friday after Makoko apparently made advances on his wife's younger sister. The teenager was sent to another family over the weekend.
The house was cordoned off, awaiting for experts to remove the poison.
Police are investigating.
Source - news24
