Two of the four children who were killed through poisoning, allegedly by their mother, Zinhle Maditla, in Klarinet in Mpumalanga, complained to her about stomach pains and a headache shortly before they died, the Witbank Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday, according to a report on the IoL site. Investigating officer Constable Zinhle Mathenjwa told the court that Maditla confessed she killed her children by feeding them food that she prepared and laced with poison on the night of 27 December last year. She said the 24-year-old Maditla then put the children on a bed in her rented room, covered them with a duvet and slept in the same room. Two of them complained they were not well. Mathenjwa was testifying for the state during Maditla’s formal bail application. ‘The accused person said she also tried to kill herself by eating the same poisoned food. She discovered the following day morning that her children were dead,’ Mathenjwa said. She said Maditla had an argument with her ex-boyfriend, shortly before she allegedly poisoned her children. The state opposed bail on Thursday and Maditla was represented by a Legal Aid attorney. ‘If the court grants the accused bail, she might kill herself because she tried to kill herself before,’ Mathenjwa said. Maditla faces four charges of premeditated murder. Magistrate Mdumiseni Mavuso postponed the hearing to 5 June for arguments.