A 43-year-old Zimbabwean national has been sentenced to an effective 30 years in prison for poisoning and killing her two young children in Parktown, Johannesburg.
According to NPA Gauteng communications officer Magaboke Mohlatlole, Lister Nkomo was convicted on two counts of murder in the Johannesburg Regional Court following the deaths of her two-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son on 3 June 2023.
Mohlatlole said the court heard that Nkomo contacted her sister on the day of the incident and told her she was in trouble at a park in Empire Park, Parktown.
She also disclosed her intention to take her own life and that of her children.
Her alarmed sister immediately contacted their father, who rushed to the scene and found the two children unresponsive.
Paramedics declared both children dead at the scene, while Nkomo was taken to hospital, where she survived after receiving treatment for poisoning.
Mohlatlole said an investigation by Sergeant Mangokoana established that both children had been poisoned.
Post-mortem examinations and toxicology tests confirmed that the children died after ingesting Terbufos, a highly toxic substance found in some pesticides and rat poison.
After the State presented its case, Nkomo elected not to testify or present evidence in her defence.
The court subsequently found her guilty on both murder charges.
In sentencing Nkomo, the court described the offences as particularly serious, noting that she had taken the lives of her own children.
The court also found that there was no evidence of remorse and noted that Nkomo continued to deny responsibility for the killings, including during the preparation of her pre-sentence report.
Acting Regional Court Prosecutor Terry Hlongwane argued that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances warranting a departure from the prescribed minimum sentence for murder.
The State argued that the seriousness of the offences and the vulnerability of the victims warranted a lengthy prison sentence.
The court agreed and sentenced Nkomo to 15 years’ direct imprisonment on each murder count.
The sentences will run consecutively, resulting in an effective 30-year prison sentence.
The court also declared Nkomo unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children in terms of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005.
Her name will further be entered into the National Child Protection Register.
Mohlatlole said the NPA welcomed the sentence, saying it reflects the seriousness with which crimes against children are treated and reinforces the principle that those who target vulnerable victims must be held accountable.
“The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting children and ensuring that perpetrators of serious and violent crimes are successfully prosecuted,” Mohlatlole said.
She said justice for vulnerable victims remains a priority and the NPA will continue to pursue appropriate sentences in cases involving crimes against children.
