Bulawayo maid boils employer’s 3-months old baby

A Bulawayo maid has been arrested after she allegedly boiled her employer’s three months-old baby.

This was apparently in revenge to her employer’s failure to pay her on time. The maid, Nokuthula Nyathi, of Emakhandeni is alleged to have boiled the infant in a container on Wednesday last week. The infant’s mother, Karen Dube, collapsed when she saw her baby in the container.

The maid was arrested a day after the gruesome murder and appeared before Western Commonage magistrate, Mr Richard Ramaboea facing murder charges. She was remanded in custody to 23 October.

Some residents said the maid and her employer had a turbulent relationship.

It is understood that the maid usually gets paid on the first day of every month but at the time of the murder, the woman’s salary was overdue by two days.

“I do not think that money was the reason for all this. Dube did not trust her because she has caught the maid stealing her belongings on several occasions. The employer tried to fire her but the maid resisted. So I think that might be the major reason behind the cruel deed,” said the source.

It is reported that on the day in question, Nyathi asked Dube to give her her salary. The employer said she did not have the money and promised to get it by the end of the week and left for work thereafter.

Nyathi, however, appeared not to have believed her employer’s promise. She is alleged to have taken the three-month old baby and put it in a container and boiled the infant on a stove.

The maid then took her belongings and left. On her return in the evening, Dube found her baby still in the container and was so shocked that she fell unconscious. The woman was discovered by a neighbour lying on the floor.

An ambulance was called to the scene while the body of the infant was taken to a mortuary.