Cape Town - At least four children have been brutally murdered in the Western Cape in the past week, leaving advocacy groups outraged and calling for a change of strategy as current interventions are not working.
The community of Klein Nederburg in Paarl held a moving memorial service for 4-year-old Tamia “Mia” Botha on Tuesday evening, a day after her little bruised body was found dumped in a field near a primary school.
She disappeared on Sunday and a missing persons case was opened by her parents following a frantic search.
Residents are up in arms after a man was taken in for questioning and then released. The man was accused of having been seen throwing a bag on to the field.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said no arrest had been made and the investigation was still under way.
Also on Monday, the Philippi community was left reeling after the body of a boy estimated to be between 8 and 10 years old was found under a bush off Weltevrede Road.
Last Friday the bodies of two missing girls, aged 9 and 10, were found in a shack in Albertina near Mossel Bay.
A 53-year-old man – who is reported to be known to the children – was arrested.
Molo Songololo director Patric Solomons said there was a need to look at what was pushing people to commit crimes against children, especially those in disadvantaged communities.
“We need to go back to the drawing board because child murders are increasing. There are programmes around GBV, but child killings remain very high. We must be honest: the interventions are not working. There is a problem of poor leadership and lack of resources.
“We need a holistic approach and all cases must receive equal attention because when a missing person incident happens to be in areas like Claremont or Constantia you would see the entire City engaging and even approaching the mayor.
“Child murder incidents mostly happen in poor areas where they are neglected and overlooked. So we need an economical and political response,” said Solomons.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said incidents of this nature were a startling reminder that more stringent measures to protect children needed to be implemented in communities.
“Police statistics further highlighted how children in South Africa are being preyed upon at incomprehensible scales as the statistics indicated that more than 243 children were murdered in South Africa during April and June this year.
“We appeal to our criminal justice system to do all within its power to impose the harshest sentences on those perpetrating these crimes, and further appeal to communities to play their part in the protection of children,” said Monakali.
Children’s Commissioner Christina Nomdo called on frontline services, including police and the child protection system, to address incidents of violence against children.
““The commissioner frequently calls for us to turn the tide on violence by taking individual and collective responsibility.
The legal mandate of the Commissioner for Children is to protect and promote the needs, interests and rights of children in the province. The commissioner is not a frontline worker in the daily struggle to contain the incidents of violence affecting children.
She needs to be strategic with her limited resources,” said Nomdu.
MEC for community safety and police oversight Reagan Allen urged members of the public to share information and bring the perpetrators to book. “Our children cannot lose their lives in this manner.
“Although 29 children were murdered in the 1st quarter of the 2022/23 financial year, which is 26 fewer kids compared with the same period of the 2021/22 financial year, when 55 children were killed, the murder of one child is not only one too many, but is wholly unacceptable.
“As a society, we need to take a hard look at ourselves, as these killings need to stop!”
Anyone with information can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
Cape Times