Hundreds of Thembeni informal settlement residents in Strand protested at the local magistrate’s court to demand justice for the murder of five-year-old Minentle Lekhatha.
Xolani Lantu, 35, is accused of the kidnapping, rape and murder of the young girl. Lantu is reportedly Minentle’s grandmother’s boyfriend.
Minentle’s mutilated body was found under a bridge in Broadway Soek Street about a 1km from her grandmother’s house on Sunday.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila told Cape Times the State will oppose if Lantu applies for bail.
In court yesterday Lantu was not asked to plead and the case was postponed to August 3 further investigation.
Courtroom A at the Strand Magistrate’s Court was packed and some residents who wanted to see the accused, had to wait outside in the corridors.
Outside court, a large group of residents held placards denouncing abuse against women and children.
On their way back to their homes, the group stopped at the crime scene and sang a song.
Later they went to where Lantu used to live and told those who were living there that Lantu was banned from staying in Strand, otherwise the community could take the law into their own hands.
Lantu will have to wait about two months behind bars before his bail application is heard. Minentle’s memorial service will be held today and she will be buried this weekend. Community leader Xolani Diniso said should Lantu be granted bail, the community would want to take action.
“If he gets bail the community would take the law into their own hands.
“After the court case a group of people wanted to burn his (Lantu’s) shack but we as community leaders intervened and told them of the consequences of this,” said Diniso.
He said Lantu had confessed to his crime.
“The tendency of people killing women and children is fast becoming a national tendency. Week in and week out we hear of these terrible doings.
“These gruesome killings happen when our justice system is too lenient on offenders,” said Diniso.