A 28-year-old mother has been arrested for allegedly killing and burying her son in a shallow grave.

The woman is accused of killing her son, 11, and burying his body in the yard where they rented a house in Hlalanikahle village near Monsterlus in Limpopo.

Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said police in the area yesterday arrested the mother for murder.

He said the incident allegedly took place on Monday.

"The mother had to be rescued by police when the villagers attacked her after suspecting her for being responsible for the disappearance of her son.

"Police investigations led them to the spot in the yard where the lifeless body of the child was found buried in a shallow grave," Mojapelo said.

The provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba condemned "this brutal incident in which the most vulnerable are killed by those that are expected to protect them" in the strongest possible terms.

Police said the motive for this incident is unknown at this stage. The suspect will appear in Hlogotlou magistrate's court soon.