Mom who 'fabricated' story about her son's kidnapping abandons bail

Keneilwe Shalaba, the 32-year-old mother who allegedly lied about her son Kutlwano’s kidnapping abandoned her bail application on Friday at the Vanderbijlpark magistrate’s court.

She’s facing charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery, and providing false information to the police.

Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the charges emanate from allegations that the woman sold her two-year-old son to unidentified individuals on November 10. “Three days later, on November 13, she reported a false case to the police, saying her child had been kidnapped by unknown men in a vehicle,” she said. 

Mahanjana said investigations by law enforcement revealed inconsistencies in her account, and she later confessed to fabricating the kidnapping story. “She was arrested on November 19 and has remained in custody since then. Despite extensive police efforts, the location of the two-year-old boy remains unknown. The investigation to find him and bring those involved to justice is ongoing,” she said. 

The case was postponed to January 27 for further investigation and the mother remanded. “The NPA commends the ongoing investigative work by law enforcement, and remains committed to ensuring justice for the victim in this distressing case,” said Mahanjana.

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