A mother who first killed her two lovers and buried them together in one grave, before later killing her son as he threatened to tell the police about what she had done, was this week sentenced to three life imprisonment sentences.
The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, labelled Pamela Selani, 47, as an “evil woman”. One of her sons, who eventually spilt the beans to a traditional healer, witnessed all three murders, while his little sister witnessed how her other brother was bludgeoned to death with a hammer.
One of the lovers was also bludgeoned to death with a hammer, with the aid of Selani’s other lover, who was later poisoned to death as he also threatened to tell on her.
All three bodies were buried in the backyard of Selani’s Olievenhoutbosch home, where unbeknown to patrons to her shebeen often gathered.
Selani pleaded not guilty to the three murders and claimed that all three of the dead had moved away to other towns and cities.
Her surviving son, only identified as S, was initially charged with her, but charges were later withdrawn against him. He told the court that he was so traumatised by what had happened, that he had dropped out of school.
He testified during his mothers trial and told Judge Mokhine Mosopa in detail about the shocking events which had occurred over three years.
According to S, his mother and her first lover, only identified as Tshangisa, had an argument and she told her other lover, only identified as Gift, that she wanted to kill Tshangisa.
Gift waited for Tshangisa to arrive home inside the bedroom armed with a hammer. As the latter entered the room, Gift attacked him with the hammer, with the help of the accused. They then placed him on the bed and tied him up.
According to the son, the victim was left on the bed for approximately two weeks and he eventually died. He did not receive any medical attention before his death. Gift and Selani then dug a hole in the yard with a spade, they undressed the deceased and threw him into the hole.
Gift then moved in with Selani and her children, but a year later she also became tired of him and the way he was treating her. S testified that she and her other young son, whom she eventually also murdered, decided to kill Gift.
They had rat poison called "halephirimi” with them and Selani put that poison in Gift’s food. He said a few minutes later foam came out of his mouth, and he could no longer maintain his balance.
Selani and the son she also murdered, then filled a dustbin with water and they dunked the head of Gift under the water until he could no longer breathe an died. He was then buried on top of the first lover.
The following year, Selani decided her son also had to die, as he had demanded money from her to buy expensive clothes. When she refused, he threatened to tell the SAPS and others about the grave in the yard.
S testified that he heard his mother say that she would not tolerate a child she gave birth to, to treat her in this manner. This son also met his death by being bludgeoned to death with a hammer.
According to S, his mother hit his brother while the latter was asleep in his bed. He said he and his sister witnessed the blows to his head and there was blood all over the room. But her son was still breathing and the woman finished the job by fetching a brick from outside and continued hitting him with this.
She then dug another hole in the backyard, placed her son in a wheelbarrow and dumped him in the grave.
The remains of all three were only discovered after S told the traditional healer what had happened and the SAPS were called.
Pretoria News