Slaying of hero, 6, shocks the country

Kutlwano Garesape

Kutlwano Garesape

Published Aug 17, 2016

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SOUTH Africans across the country have joined the family of 6-year-old Kutlwano Garesape, the community of Jan Kempdorp and the Northern Cape, in mourning the brutal death of the young hero.

Kutlwano was killed while trying to protect his mother from a man who attacked and attempted to rape her while they were walking to school on Friday.

The man charged with the attack, Tefelo Dikole, 32, appeared in the Jan Kempdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The Star's sister paper, the Diamond Fields Advertiser, was inundated with calls from readers as far afield as Cape Town and Durban, conveying their condolences to the grieving family and offering assistance and support.

A woman from Cape Town was one of many readers who offered to assist the family financially, while the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa (MJC) expressed its sympathy to the family.

The president of the MJC, Shaykh Irfaan Abrahams, in a personal letter to the family requested permission to attend the funeral.

“The Muslim Judicial Council (SA) salutes the bravery of young Kutlwano in trying to defend the life, dignity and honour of his mother.

"We are deeply touched and profoundly moved by the God-consciousness of Mrs Garesape who prayed to God for her son, acknowledging his bravery and valour.

"We once again highlight the need for more stringent regulations to be put in place by the South African government to protect the rights and lives of children,” Abrahams said.

Community members, meanwhile, protested outside the court and opposed bail for the accused, calling for him to be kept in jail.

They labelled the attack on Segomotso Garesape, 42, and her two young children as a savage act and said the attacker “must pay”.

“This is a small community where we all know each other. The fact that the mother knew the attacker, and he continued to hurt her, is just shocking.

"This angers the community even more as this incident now inflicts fear in all of us and we feel that we are not safe. As a parent, you now really worry about the safety of your children – because this woman and her children were attacked during the morning while walking to school.

"It is heartbreaking… as the child died in his mother’s arms,” one community member said.

Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas also expressed her condolences to the family yesterday.

“This senseless and insensitive attack comes during a month when we actively advocate for the rights of women," she said.

The case was postponed to August 22 for a bail application.

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