A five-year-old child believes her mom was killed by a bad guy — she just does not understand yet that the alleged perpetrator was her mother’s boyfriend, and someone she trusted.

After Transnet employee Nomfuneko Mdwayi, 39, was buried during an emotional send-off, the Kwazakhele family said this week they had to deal with their own trauma while trying to shield a sad little girl from the abhorrent truth.