A Cape Town family living in hope that their two-year-old boy would be found alive after he disappeared last week are battling to come to terms with a confession by the boy’s mother that she killed him.
The pregnant mother was also under investigation in connection with the deaths of at least two more of her children, Western Cape police said yesterday.
“I can confirm that we are looking at the deaths of two or more of her children,” said Warrant Officer November Filander.
Zulpha Jacobs, 36, confessed to the killing of Tariq Jacobs after being arrested on Saturday, said Filander.
Tariq was the nephew of Moroka Swallows soccer star Ashraf Hendricks.
Tariq’s body was found in a shallow grave at Imperial Primary School in Beacon Valley.
The child disappeared while shopping with his mother on Thursday.
Police would conduct a post mortem.
Speaking to The Mercury last night, Tariq’s aunt, Tawgheeda Davids, said the family was emotional. “It is going to be a hard couple of days for all of us to get through, but we will take it one step at a time.”
Despite their grief at the revelation, Davids said the family was at peace now that the truth was known.
Scores of people attended Tariq’s funeral yesterday. “The funeral was very emotional. Everyone is still trying to come to terms with the mother’s confession. It is hard on all of us,” she said.
“We have to accept what has happened; the Almighty expects it of us. We prayed that we would have found him alive, but that did not transpire and despite wanting him with us, we all feel he is in a better place.”
Several print and online media reports named the boy as Hendricks’s son, but Moroka Swallows spokesman Siya Sangweni said it was his nephew.
He said the club was supporting Hendricks.
He said Hendricks, who was in Cape Town with his family, was upset and had taken the news of his sister’s arrest badly. “We are supporting Hendricks, and he has asked for privacy at the moment to deal with the situation.”
Jacobs is expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court tomorrow on charges of murder and abandonment.