A mother has been accused of selling her two-year-old daughter to a witch doctor after investigators found the child's lifeless body buried in a shallow grave.

Accused Kuneuwe Shalaba, 33, appeared alongside alleged accomplish and 'shaman' Sebokoana Khounyana, 50, at the Vanderbijlpark magistrate's court in South Africa on 2nd June.

Both are have been accused of murder, with the authorities suspecting that they killed little Kutlwano Shalaba, who went missing in November last year (2024), to allegedly sell her body parts and organs for traditional medicine practices.

Picture shows Keneiwe Shalaba with two-year-old Kutlwano, undated. The child's body was found in a shallow grave in Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)

The court reportedly heard how Shalaba was paid ZAR 75,000 (GBP 3,100) the same day that Kutlwano went missing.

Her body was only recovered last week following a lengthy investigation.

The 'witch doctor', named locally as a 'sangoma', reportedly asked the court if he could plead guilty, but the court told him that it was too soon in the proceedings to be able to do so.

A spokesperson for prosecutors, named as Lumka Mahanjana, said that the 'sangoma' had confessed to the police.

He was arrested after leading the police to a shallow grave where the skeletal remains of the toddler were discovered.

Picture shows Keneiwe Shalaba and Sebokoana Khoanyana, undated. The two-year-old's body was found in a shallow grave in Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)

Shalaba stands accused of premeditated murder as well as a litany of other charges including conspiracy to commit robbery and making a false statement to the police.

A post-mortem is currently underway on the skeletal remains to confirm their identity and establish a cause of death.

The investigation is ongoing.

(Joseph Golder / newsX)