Cape Town – Kraaifontein residents rallied behind the family of 11-year-old Duran Visagie as the men accused of his murder appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Trevano Lodewyk, 18, and Dimitri Wence, 27, made their first appearance on a charge of murder.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Eric Ntabazalila said the case was postponed to October 19 for bail information. The two also still need an attorney to be appointed.
Duran, a Grade 5 pupil at the Brooklands Primary School in Northpine was hit in the head last Tuesday by a stray bullet when rival gangs allegedly opened fire on each other in Joseph Avenue in Scottsdene.
Machines that kept him alive in hospital were switched off on Wednesday after he was declared brain dead.
Two days later Anti-Gang Unit detectives arrested Lodewyk and Wence following tracing operations in the area.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said that after questioning the accused a 9mm Norinco pistol with 26 rounds linked to the shooting was found at an Yvonne Street residence.
The gun was discovered underneath the wendy house of a 19-year-old who is understood to be a girlfriend of one of the accused.
She was also arrested for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and is due to appear in court soon.
Kraaifontein Community Development Forum secretary Louis Botha said the community was also mourning the death of an 18-year-old matric pupil who was stabbed to death on Saturday and welcomed arrests in both cases.
Police confirmed an 18-year-old suspect was arrested for the murder and is due to appear in court soon.
“It’s just not fair towards any family to lose a child in the way these young people have been brutally killed,” Botha said.
“We call for justice not to fail the families and we will continue to support them. We are deeply frustrated by the high level of gang-related activities.
’’We are committed to bringing change and have partnered with the community policing forum and SAPS with the intention to have a crime summit in November. We will fight GVB and gangsterism,” Botha said.
Cape Times