d man k!lls domestic worker’s toddler daughter ‘because house wasn’t cleaned properly’

A 21-year-old man has been arrested in Driekoppies, Schoemansdal, Mpumalanga, South Africa for the murder of a domestic worker’s three-year-old daughter. 

The suspect allegedly killed the toddler on account of the worker not cleaning the home properly. 

Mpumalanga police said the incident took place when the child accompanied her mother to work.

Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said it is alleged that the child’s mother, a domestic worker at the residence, left her daughter sleeping on a couch.

“When she later could not find her, the suspect directed her to the garage, where she discovered the child’s lifeless body with head injuries,” Mdhluli said.

Police and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were dispatched to the premises. 

Upon arrival at the home, medical personnel confirmed the child had died.

“When questioned about the incident, the suspect allegedly stated that he was angry because the mother did not clean the house properly,” Mdhluli said.

According to police, the suspect resides with his grandmother, who employed the victim’s mother.

A case of murder has been opened for investigation. 

The suspect is expected to appear in the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, May 7, 2026.