Angel Matukane, 25, watched in horror as her boyfriend slammed their one-year-old daughter’s tiny body against the wall in rage.
Victoria died moments later while on the way to hospital a week ago. She was buried on Saturday at Jeppes Reef in Mpumalanga.
Victoria was killed last Monday allegedly by her father Zwai Mhlanga,30, during a heated argument with her mother at their home in Schoemansdal.
Matukane told Sowetan yesterday that the incident happened after she ended her relationship with Mhlanga after she learnt that he had been living with another woman who died this month.
“We had broken up and he seemed to understand my reasons. But on Monday he came to the room I have been renting. He brought nappies for the child. Then suddenly he pulled out a knife and placed it on the table while the child was sleeping, and said he’s going to finish us off. I was scared.
“He took my cellphone and went into Facebook and saw chats between me and other people. He then grabbed the child and wanted to stab her,” said Matukane.
She said she then jumped up and tried to intervene.
“He grabbed her by the arm and I could hear it break. I screamed for help and he told me to keep quiet and also make sure the child stopped crying. I grabbed the child and ran out to call my landlord but he caught up with us and pushed me down. He took the child, slammed her against the floor and wall twice. I shouted for help while running towards my neighbours,” said Matukane.
She said neighbours saw him running away and leaving the child behind, but they chased and cornered him and beat him up. They took the child to hospital but she died on the way.
“It is painful to see my child being killed by an aggressive man who was supposed to protect her. She was a darling and a loving angel. She didn’t deserve to die like that, especially at the hands of her own father,” said Matukane.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli said Mhlanga was arrested on the same day and was under police guard at Shongwe Hospital.
“We are investigating a murder case against the father who’s currently under police guard in hospital. He had since appeared in absentia in the Boschfontein magistrate's court and is expected to appear in the same court again on Tuesday if he has recovered from his injuries,” said Mdhluli.
