A 41-year-old woman who had become isolated over rumours that she was HIV-positive, killed her four children and then committed suicide at Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape police said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Captain Mduduzi Godlwana said the five bodies were found on Wednesday at Mthambalala village.
”She left a suicide note — stating that she killed herself and her children with poison because community members believed she was HIV-positive. She said they were gossiping about her,” said Godlwana.
He said according to the note the rumours started spreading after another woman who was involved with the dead woman’s boyfriend died of Aids-related illnesses last year.
”She said in the note, after the rumours she became lonely as community members were avoiding her.”
The children, two boys and two girls, were aged eight, five, two and one.
”We found the bodies placed in an order of their age at the back of the house, in the garden with the mother’s body next to them. An empty bottle of milk, [which] we believe was poisoned, was found nearby,” Godlwana said.
Police opened an administering of poison docket, he said. – Sapa