Cape Town - The family of little Elihle “Queenie” Hlanjwa, who died after being raped and torched, say they cannot afford to bury her.
The nine-year-old Delft girl died in hospital early on Monday morning, two months after she was raped and set alight on January 18.
She was walking alone to her father’s house when she was allegedly abducted and raped.
Meanwhile, the mother of an 11-year-old girl who was also raped and set alight says she had a chilling dream the night before Queenie died.
Ingrid Augis’ daughter Lisle was only seven when a family friend lured her into a bush nearby her Electric City home in November 2006.
The man raped, stabbed and beat her with a brick before setting her alight.
After the ordeal the brave child was dubbed “The Little Rock”.
Sadly, she died in a horrific taxi crash in Blackheath in 2010.
On Sunday night, Ingrid dreamt about her daughter’s funeral.
“I dreamt I was at Lisle’s funeral and I was standing at the head of the coffin. I saw Lisle’s face in my dream,” she said.
She said when she awoke she told her husband about the dream.
“I told him I just dreamt about Lisle and whenever I dream about her something happens,” she said.
“On Monday night, I heard about the little Delft girl [Elihle] who died in hospital.
“My heart was broken. It is never easy to lose a child.”
The death of the little girl came as a shock to her family.
She had showed signs of improvement while she stayed at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.
Her family said she had 10 surgeries since she was admitted to hospital on the morning of January 19.
Queenie’s aunt Zandiswa Mthekeli, 33, says they did not have a funeral plan for her.
“We can’t even talk about a funeral because we don’t have money to bury her,” she said.
“Only the adults are in a funeral plan because they are sick but we can’t afford one for the children.
“Obviously you don’t expect something like this to happen to your child.”
Queenie’s alleged attacker Wanda Oliphant has been charged with sexual assault, rape, abduction, and attempted murder.
Oliphant is due back in court next week when his attempted murder charge will be changed to murder.
Daily Voice