By A Correspondent| A 25-year-old mother will spend the rest of life in prison for killing four of her children with rat poison over a quarrel with her lover.

Zinhle Maditla was on Friday sentenced to life in prison by a Middelburg Magistrates Court in the South African province of Mpumalanga.

Justice Segopotje Mphahlele delivered the judgement after finding Maditla guilty of killing four of her children in December, 2018. They were aged between 11 months and 8 years.

The convicted mother killed four of her children over a quarrel with the father of two of the children.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Mphahlele said she could not find any reason not to sentence Maditla to life in prison for feeding the children with rat poison when they were hungry.

“And when they were hungry, they believed that she will provide for them and when she gave them food, she intentionally gave them food that was contaminated with the intention to kill them.

 “I am of the view that life imprisonment for all four children is the right sentence. Effectively you are sentenced to four life terms in prison,” said the judge.-

Local reports said Maditla broke down in tears after the ruling was delivered and immediately stormed out of the dock