Durban - The 20-year-old woman who admitted to trying to kill her two sons by lacing their porridge with rat poison, has been referred for mental assessment to a district surgeon.
Slindile Mtolo had applied for bail last month, so she could continue to receive her social grant and support the children.
Judgment on bail was expected on Thursday, but had to be postponed because Mtolo was taken to the hospital.
Her attorney, Jay Sundar, said while Mtolo maintains she is mentally fit, it was prudent she undergo a mental evaluation before the court ruled on bail.
Mtolo, of Tamboville in Glenwood, Pietermaritzburg, was arrested on June 16 for the attempted murders of 4-month-old Melokuhle and 2-year-old Mthambo.
Warrant Officer Alvin Freddy, who opposed Mtolo’s bail application, revealed that Mtolo had a problem with the children’s father, who refused to support the two boys.
Mtolo, whose only income was the social welfare grant she received for her sons, tried to get help from a local NGO, but was unsuccessful. It was after this failure that she had bought Rattex and mixed it with her children’s porridge.
When they started vomiting after eating it, she reported what had happened to a neighbour. Police were called and she handed herself over.
The children, who both survived the murder attempt, are in the care of their grandmother (Mtolo’s mother).
Freddy said he was worried that, if released on bail, Mtolo could intimidate her mother and possibly harm the children again.
Daily News