Durban - Sadia Sukhraj broke thousands of hearts.
The little girl also sparked an uprising Chatsworth has never seen before.
As the 9-year-old was laid to rest on Tuesday, her life ending tragically the day before when she was shot during a hijacking, evidence surfaced of a community under siege by violent criminals.
For many, Sadia’s death was a tipping point.
With home invasions and hijackings a daily occurrence, the bottled-up anger and fear boiled over the day Sadia died.
Frustrated residents no longer want the empty promises of government: they want action. Now.
A petition from change.org entitled ‘#JusticeForSadia, Bring Back The Death Penalty’ was started and has been shared on multiple social media platforms and has received more than 30 500 signatures since Monday.
Part of the petition reads: “We are calling for Parliament to investigate why the South African Police Service continues to fail in its duty to protect the citizens of our country.
“We respect the police officers who risk their lives on a daily basis for our protection. However, more needs to be done.
"Crime prevention strategies need to be implemented. If a lack of resources is the issue, then Parliament must allocate more to our security and defence forces.
"The right to protection is enshrined in our Bill of Rights, and we continue to have these rights violated day in and day out.”
A million signatures are needed for the petition to be considered.
Other community members bear the fresh scars of their newfound fight to convince police to do more.
Naren Singh was among the hundreds of Chatsworth residents who converged on the local police station on Monday night.
For his efforts, he and several others were fired on with rubber bullets and tear gas as police tried to disperse the large crowd. About 20 protesters were arrested.
Outraged by the police reaction to a peaceful protest, Eddie Govender, chairperson of the Silverglen Civic Association, said the message was simple: “Crime in Chatsworth and the county is out of control. The community of Chatsworth is saying ‘enough is enough’.
"It took the loss of another little girl to bring this to a head, to voice our dissatisfaction at the ineffectiveness of the police department in managing crime.”
Govender, who supported the petition, added that the protesters had the right to voice their grievances and concerns about rising crime.
“We, the community of Chatsworth, are soft targets and they (police action) intended to intimidate the protesters. As community activists, the Monday night incident leaves a lot to be desired at the police department.”
Fearing that soaring crime in Chatsworth could push an angry community over the edge, the ANC sent its senior representative, Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay, to appeal for calm.
Pillay, who addressed mourners at Sadia’s funeral, said it was a day of great sadness. “Yes, we are very sad, but we also need to tell the world we are also angry.
"The community has every right to be angry that a child, a girl, just 9 years of age, the loving pride and joy of her parents and family, a child in the fullness of innocence, as only a child can be - that such a child should be the victim of a crime so horrendous (as Monday’s hijacking),” he said.
“Yes, every society must deal with crime at some level. But there are certain places that are sacred - our places of worship, our homes and our schools. A child being dropped off at school should be a safe, happy moment, not a tragic one.”
Praying that the community’s anger would ease, “because our wounds are wide open - gaping - our emotions raw”, Pillay said the government understood their rage.
“We understand that this loss of life, this crime, as horrendous as it is, is not isolated but comes on top of all other crimes that the community is subjected to.
"Therefore, the time has come when we must get more organised to take back our streets and neighbourhoods. Demand more accountability. It is part of a change that we need in our country as a whole.”
Pillay said he had spoken to Community Safety MEC Mxolisi Kaunda and Police Minister Bheki Cele.
“Both have assured me that they will give personal attention to this horrendous crime. In fact, Minister Bheki Cele intends to come here, probably on Thursday, firstly to visit the family and pay his respects.
"But he is also going to visit the police station to ensure that the investigation and preparation for court is thorough and diligent. He will also require a report on the community protest and police action which took place (on Monday night).
Said Pillay: “We want a society that is ruled by law. All of us must play our role. To the SAPS, we say perform your task with diligence.
"We do not want a SAPS that is belittled or disrespected. We want a SA Police Service that is disciplined and respected.
"We want police who care, and act like they do. We say Sadia’s passing must not be in vain. Indeed her death must be a constant reminder of your responsibility.”
In the depths of despair, people must remain sober, Pillay said. “In particular, we must reject those who seek to steep our response in racism.”
Moorton resident Ashley Pillay, who initiated the protest outside the police station, told POST he had had enough of crime in Chatsworth.
“We Indians are so passive. We need to take a stand and take control. We need to take Chatsworth back. We are the easy target, but not any more.”