Cape Town - The men accused of killing six-year-old Saadiqah Lippert say they are not responsible for her death, and claim they were like family to the little girl.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Voice on Wednesday, Waylon Botha, 22, and Samier Slamang, 24, say men were actually shooting at them on the day Saadiqah was shot while playing in her ouma’s driveway in 9th Avenue, Bokmakierie.
In the incident, which happened on 2 May, a bullet struck Saadiqah in her stomach and she died later in hospital.
Botha and Slamang were arrested the next day after community members pointed them out to cops.
Police say the two are confirmed gangsters and are also being charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
Botha is allegedly a member of the G-Unit-gang and Slamang of the Vikings gang.
Speaking outside the Western Cape High Court, where they face 13 charges, the accused became emotional when they spoke of their long friendship with the Lippert family and growing up with Saadiqah’s parents.
Samier Slamang and Waylon Botha say it wasn’t them who shot 6-year-old Saadiqah Lippert on May 2
Botha says: “We were children when we started playing together. We grew up in that street. Everybody knows everyone else and there is a certain respect for families."
“I did not kill Saadiqah,” he insists, adding that witness testimony will prove it.
An emotional Slamang became tearful when speaking about Saadiqah. He says he was like a father to her.
“She was like my own child. I have known her family almost all my life. Her uncle Safwaan was one of my closest friends. I would never hurt a child. I would never have hurt Saadiqah. I did not shoot at her,” he says.
He says he also has a little girl and Saadiqah was part of his family.
“I was part of her life since she was born. I was like a father to her and I saw her as my family. We did not take her life,” he says.
Saadiqah’s mom, Chimiez Francis, confirms they had been very close and admits Slamang and his wife Mishkah took care of Saadiqah since she was three months old and she started working.
“They were our family, and close friends with my ex and his brothers. When I got to the hospital that night after Saadiqah was shot and asked who shot her, nobody would answer me. When they said it was Samier, I said ‘no’. I could not believe it,” Chimiez said.
The matter was postponed on Wednesday after the prosecutor was apparently injured.
A new State witness will take the stand on Thursday.