Tonga - A Mpumalanga teenage mother accused of strangling her 18-month-old daughter appeared in the Tonga Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Nomcebo Mahlalela, 18, of Tsambokhulu Trust near Komatipoort, was not asked to plead to a charge of murder.
She will apply for bail on Friday, a Sapa correspondent reported.
Mahlalela, a Grade 11 pupil at Lebombo High School, was arrested on May 16 after community members grew suspicious when seeing her without her toddler, Faithful Masinga.
It was later found that the child had been strangled and dumped near the Swaziland border.
Prosecutor Frederick Mhelembe told the court it was not clear why the child was killed.
“I cannot say much on this case because it's still under investigation,” said Mhelembe.
Magistrate Sibonisiwe Sibuyi postponed the matter to May 30 for a bail application.
Sapa