Cape Town – South Africa President Jacob Zuma was on Thursday set to visit the family of three-year-old Courtney Pieters who was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave in Elsies River recently.
In a statement from the Presidency, Zuma expressed shock and repulsion at the gruesome killing of little Courtney and reiterated that violence against women and children has been declared a priority crime and that government would deploy all its resources to ensure that perpetrators face the full might of the law.
"We wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the Pieters family and to all other families of the women who have been brutally murdered or attacked in various ways in the past few days in parts of the country.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with the families during this difficult period. The incidents have caused untold pain amongst South Africans and this is the time for us to unite and isolate these cruel perpetrators of this shameful and hateful crime against women and children," Zuma said in a statement.
#CourtneyPieters Pluto Street prepares for @MbalulaFikile and @PresidencyZA @CapeTimesSA @IOL @TheCapeArgus https://t.co/qaqZ5bXV3y
— Cape Times (@CapeTimesSA) May 18, 2017
Juanita Pieters, mother of #CourtneyPieters and Roegshanda Pascoe await President Zuma's arrival @IOL @CapeArgus @CapeTimesSA https://t.co/eIwScCi8N7
— Cape Times (@CapeTimesSA) May 18, 2017
WATCH: President Zuma rushing to Elsies River home of little #CourtneyPieters(3) who was murdered. @TheCapeArgus @IOL pic.twitter.com/d08JDsQVqH
— Siyabonga Sesant (@4everSiya) May 18, 2017