Cape Town – Charges against alleged drug merchant Rafiek Hayners must be changed from culpable homicide to murder, the family of one of his alleged hit-and-run victims says.
On Wednesday Hayners, 24, of Hanover Park, was confronted by a group of more than 40 relatives and friends of six-year-old Shaylynn Arendse and her nanny, Maureen Abrahams, 67, of Lotus River.
The aggrieved wore white T-shirts with a beautiful photograph of the little girl printed on them.
Hayners, who was dressed in a white raincoat, covered his face as he made his way to the dock at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court where he was also supported by family members.
He is facing a charge of culpable homicide for the deaths of Shaylynn and Maureen and was granted R5 000 bail without any conditions in October.
He handed himself over to police four days after the incident.
While out on bail, Hayners was nabbed by the Hawks who allegedly found him in possession of drugs worth close to R9 million at a storehouse in Somerset West.
The court postponed the matter to 12 February for further investigation and for information including the post-mortem to be finalised.
Hayners is believed to have been behind the wheel of a white VW Golf that was driving down Strandfontein Road towards 5th Avenue in Lotus River on 27 September that struck Shaylynn and Maureen who were standing on the pavement. They were on their way to a nearby shop.
Maureen’s cousin, David Abrahams, 61, says they want Hayners to be charged with murder: “His driver’s licence wasn’t taken away. How can it be that he is charged for drugs and his passport is taken away, but he is not on a 24-hour watch?
“Secondly, the charge is culpable homicide but when you have killed two people, it is murder. If it was me and you, we would be in jail while awaiting trial.
“Something must be done about this justice system because it seems if you have money you can do everything.”
Shaylynn’s granny, Brenda Tommy, as well as her son, Jason Hendricks, and Shaylynn’s mom, Sharnell Arendse, were also at court.
“He was granted bail and we are not happy about that. We also had no idea that this case would be postponed again,” Brenda says.
Meanwhile, Hayners will be back at the Somerset West Magistrate's Court on 1 February, where he faces charges of drug possession and being part of a crime syndicate. The Hawks confiscated tik and mandrax worth R8.9 million.
Following Hayners’ arrest, cops also nabbed his alleged accomplices Russel Stanton Jonathan, 53, Mark Overmeyer, 51, and Zaynisa Alfoz, 45. They got bail of R50 000 each on 7 December.