Daily Sun (November 11 2013) - JUNIOR Gumede, a six-month-old baby, lay alone in the shack while his mother was partying in a nearby tavern. But some time during the night, while his mother drank, danced and gambled, death entered the shack and brutally ended the baby's short life.

JUNIOR WAS FOUND WITH HORRIFIC WOUNDS TO HIS FACE AND LIMBS. Now a broken-hearted grandmother, Sanele Gumede (42), blames herself for the death of her grandson.

She said her daughter, Nokuthula Gumede (23), was found to be unfit to be a mother.

"She drank and played cards all the time," said Sanele. "I looked after Junior during the week, but I let her take him over weekends."

Block committee chairman Movers Khosa (39) told Daily Sun he was called to the scene immediately after a resident discovered the baby dead in the shack in Diepsloot extension one, north of Joburg, yesterday morning.

The body was found on filthy blankets in a messy shack with used nappies lying around.

His right forearm and left foot appeared to be missing.

Movers said it was another tragedy the people of Diepsloot would have to deal with.

He said it came when people were still mourning the loss of two toddlers murdered there last month.

"Those memories are still in their minds. When they see this, it will open the wounds again," Movers said.

According to residents, the mother was seen dancing at a tavern on Saturday night.

She has since disappeared, apparently in fear of being attacked by the angry residents of Diepsloot.

The police's Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng confirmed to Daily Sun that police were investigating a case of murder.

Residents told Daily Sun that they thought the murder was muthi-related.

Some of them suspect that the baby's body parts were taken to be used for "business purposes".

Sangoma Mandla Mnqwazi said body parts are used for muthi purposes, mainly for luck and ukuthwala, increasing the user's powers to become rich.

See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

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