Case of Johannesburg Mother Who Made Her Child Smoke Mandrax Has Been Postponed

• The Johannesburg mother who was arrested for forcing her child to smoke drugs appeared in court
• This was after a video of the woman and her associates making her four-year-old son smoke mandrax went viral
• The case was postponed, and South Africans called for her to remain behind bars, condemning her actions

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG — The case of a woman who was arrested after a video of her giving her child mandrax to smoke went viral was postponed after her appearance on 4 August 2025 at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.

According to SABC News, the woman's case was postponed to Thursday, 7 August. This was after she was arrested and charged with attempted murder and child neglect. The National Prosecuting Authority said that the state must still verify the accused's residential addresses. The suspects have also secured legal representation.

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Why was she arrested?

The woman and three other suspects were arrested after a video of the incident went viral on 29 July 2025. In the video, the child is encouraged to light a mandrax pipe, known as a bottleneck. After lighting it, two male voices are heard encouraging him to take a deep pull.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department received a tip-off from members of the public, and they arrived at the suspects' home on the Bertha Flats in Newclare. The woman and two of the suspects confessed to smoking mandrax and filming the incident. The child was rushed to the hospital and taken to a place of safety.

The woman and the three suspects appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on 31 July and were charged with attempted murder and child abuse for exposing the child to a harmful substance.

Tiffany Meek was arrested for murder

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Tiffany Meek, the mother of Jayden-Lee Meek, was arrested and charged with the murder of her son. The Gauteng Department of Education said that it would investigate allegations that Tiffany abused her son and sent him to school on an empty stomach.

What did South Africans say?

South Africans shared their views on the case.

Owen said:

"I wouldn't be surprised if the mother of the child was smoking drugs even during her pregnancy."

Alex Matsoarelle said:

"It would be best for the community if the child were taken away from the parent until the age of 18."

Angelic Allam said:

"They must rot in jail."

Sfiso Property said:

"15 years in jail."

Tiffany Meek denied bail

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Tiffany Meek was denied bail. Meek was arrested for the murder of her son, Jayden-Lee Meek, who was found dead on 11 May 2025, a day after Tiffany reported him missing.

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Johannesburg mother arrested for making child smoke drugs charged with attempted murder

The judge ruled that Tiffany was manipulative, and her actions showed that if granted bail, she could manipulate the witnesses. She also said that Tiffany could skip the trial.

Source: Briefly News