The so-called Killer mom should not be jailed

A woman from one of the poorest provinces of South Africa was condemned to 12 years in prison for murdering her 5 children. Venolia  Siwa said she stabbed four of the children – disabled 13-year-old Sizwe (Sizwe means a Nation), 10-year-old Lukanyo (his name means Light), Edward who was 5 and 4-year-old Naledi (Naledi means Star) with a knife. She said she drowned the youngest, Reatlegile (2). Reatlegile is a Tswana name which means We are Victors.

Such beautiful names. It almost makes you believe that these children were planned and conceived with love. It will just take their names for the gates of heaven to open for them. Just unbelievable that they perished at the hands of the woman who gave birth to them. She is now pregnant as she goes to jail. Does she not have control or a say over her reproductive health? What kind of demon possessed her to accomplish the mission to kill her own offspring?

My friend Margaret Mothibi, a journalist for the SABC in the Northern Cape, covered her story. Venolia is a member of the ZCC church. Margaret says community members described her as sweet, quite lady. Some even said she was a great mother. Like millions of South Africans she was unemployed. With five children and a sixth on the way? On top of that, she had problems with her partner. No support. 

Northern Cape province has a reputation of women (and men) who abuse alcohol even in their pregnancy. Venolia wasn't a drinker. She was just a woman from Magojaneng, who may have been suffering from Post Natal Depression. Dis-empowered like many South Africans; probably no education, no access to decent health care and most certainly submissive to her partner. I'm not in any way making excuses for her. But the conditions we live in put us in the situations we find ourselves in. Human soul can only take so much suffering. The climax of her suffering and frustrations ended with her children dead! Dead! The impatience and frustrations of the Marikana miners ended with more than 34 people dead. The inhuman living conditions of South African farm workers has led them to burn vineyards that generate millions for the country's economic. But nothing for them.

"Motherhood without assistance is hell" someone told me once. Margaret tells me that some women in court who didn't even know Venolia, wept with her or even for her. I too weep for her. I feel sorry for this woman. What kind of life will she lead? When she sobers up from the demon that drove her to kill. She will die. Her spirit will die and  follow her children.