Cape Town - Two suspects are to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, charged with the murder of a 5-year-old girl from Riebeek West.
The killing of Kaithlyn Wilson is another in a number of child murders in the Western Cape this year.
Kaithlyn’s body was found in bushes a few kilometres from her home in Bloedrivier, Riebeek West. She went missing on Sunday afternoon and her body was found hours later.
Her distraught grandmother, Sophia Wilson, 45, said she last saw the child going to buy chips.
Picture: Henk Kruger
"Kaithlyn asked me for R2 to buy chips at the local shop; as time went by her mother Yvonne asked me where she was, and I told her she went to play. I started wondering why she had not returned home and went out looking where she always plays around."
Wilson said, as she couldn’t find her, she panicked and community members helped in the search.
"Around 4pm the search got too much for me and we were still looking around the streets and parks but couldn’t find her so we went to the police station to report her missing.
Picture: Henk Kruger
"Fortunately the police had already sent a van to my house so we went back and the search continued."
They made a grisly discovery.
"Kaithlyn’s head was swollen and when I asked how she died, the police said her eyes and nose were closed with black tape and they stuffed something in her mouth to suffocate her," Wilson said, sobbing.
Kaithlyn's emotional father, Johnie Cloete, 37, was distraught over the loss of his “Pikkewyntjie”.
Gone: Kaithlyn. Picture: Henk Kruger
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said two suspects aged 19 and 30 were arrested following co-operation from the local community.
Director of the Trauma Centre, Valdi van Reeenen, said (the death) emphasised the need for a commission of inquiry into child murders, a call her organisation has made on numerous occasions.
"I am so angry. This is an innocent child. We need to know why people are killing our children," she said.