CAPE TOWN - A 56-year-old man is set to appear in the Klawer Magistrates Court on Monday morning in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Jeroboijin van Wyk.
The man had allegedly confessed through his lawyer that he had murdered the boy, but this is yet to be heard by the court. The motive behind the brutal attack is alleged to be that the boy and his friends had allegedly stolen mangoes at the man’s property on Friday.
Community members are expected to picket outside court this morning as tempers flared in the West Coast town over the weekend following the man's arrest.
The man was arrested by SAPS after human remains – understood to be an ear, intestines and a kidney – were found in a sewerage pipe on his property.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said: “Our investigation into the disappearance of a 13-year-old boy led to the arrest of a 56-year-old man in Klawer on a charge of kidnapping. According to reports, the missing boy was accused of stealing fruit at the suspect’s residence in Second Avenue on Wednesday, February 2 and was pursued by him.
“The boy has since not been seen. The investigation led detectives to the suspect’s residence this afternoon, where human remains were discovered in a sewerage pipe on the premises. The body of the victim is yet to be found, and it is too soon to speculate on the identity of the remains that were found. Our investigation has not been concluded, and our forensic experts are still in the process to examine the crime scene in search of more leads.
The charge has since been changed to murder,” Traut said.
Community activist and director of Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, Billy Claassen, has pleaded with residents and political parties not to politicise the matter and instead “support the mother during this difficult time”.
“Let’s not play politics with the child’s (murder). Let’s not sow hate and division, and let’s help the mother find closure. Let's not play different races off against each other in the community. Support the mother and contribute to her healing journey. It’s going to take a long time,” said Claassen.
Cape Times