Toddler dies after falling into boiling water, mum arrested

A mother and her maid have been arrested in Bulawayo after a cat they kept as a pet caused the death of a one-year-old child.

The child fell into a dish full of boiling water while fighting with a cat over a piece of cloth.

The child's mother, Bonang Ndlovu and maid Patricia Sibanda appeared before provincial magistrate, Mr Willard Maphios on a charge of culpable homicide.

It is said that sometime in June, at Emganwini suburb, Ndlovu asked the maid to boil water as she wanted to take a bath.

The maid reportedly boiled more water and kept some to bath the late child, Vuyo Ncube and for herself.

The boy started playing with the cat, got hold of a piece of cloth, stood up and toddled around before the cat snatched the piece of cloth from him.

The boy and the cat were then locked in a tug of war and the cat proved powerful as it managed to pull the boy until he got closer to the dish.

At that moment, Ndlovu noticed that her child was too close to the dish and apparently threw an unknown object at the cat so that it would let go the piece of cloth.

But when the cat let loose its grip, the boy lost his balance and fell into water.

The boy was removed from hot water and taken to Nketa Emergency clinic but was referred to Mpilo Hospital.

He died after some days and his father lodged complaint with the police.

Ndlovu and Sibanda were arrested. The magistrate remanded them in custody to 26 July.