Man to appear in court over murder of girl (7) in Mpumalanga
The father of a child whose body was found dumped in a field in Charl Cilliers says the discovery will haunt him forever.
Murder accused George Sebeloane (21) will appear in the Secunda Magistrate’s Court again tomorrow after the body of Princess Rossouw (7) was found in a shallow grave on March 8, reports Ridge Times.
Princess Rossouw, who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was found dead in a mealie field on the Syferfontein farm along the R50 between Standerton and the eMbalenhle turn-off in rural Mpumalanga.
Her father, farm worker Sunnyboy Rossouw, says he will forever be haunted by the sight of his youngest child in the field.
“There was blood on her mouth. The most shocking to us was that her half-naked body was so clean – it looked almost as if she had been washed. It breaks me that I could not protect her,” Rossouw says.
This mealie field is the view that greets Rossouw, his life partner Stella Motha, and their remaining three children every day. Also in view is the home of the 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with Princess’s murder.
“He is someone we knew and trusted. Princess even called him her uncle,” Rossouw told Ridge Times last week.
Tragedy recounted
He says on the day she disappeared, Princess did not return with her older sisters and brother after playing outside with neighbouring children.
“I was at home when we noticed that Princess was missing. We went around the neighbourhood asking after her, and our neighbours also joined in the search all over the farm,” explains Rossouw.
He says they even searched the field in which her body was later found. “Our search continued throughout the night because we believed and hoped that maybe she was somewhere safe.”
By Sunday morning, they called the police. Although the area is considered to be part of Lekwa Local Municipality, it falls within the Charl Cilliers Police Precinct.
Members from the K9 Unit, detectives, the community policing forum, farmers in the area, neighbours and friends helped in the search.
Rossouw says the police found a bag near the mealie field. Blood-stained clothes, believed to be the clothes Princess had worn on the Saturday, were allegedly among the bag’s contents.
The person thought to own the bag was found and questioned by the police. According to Rossouw, the man ‘eventually showed the police where Princess’s body had been buried’.
Court proceedings
While the grieving family is struggling to come to terms with their loss, the man accused of the crime made his first court appearance in the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on March 10.
The case was postponed to last Monday for Sebeloane to apply for legal aid assistance.
In the meantime, the Rossouw family wants to know the reason behind their child’s murder, and they hope justice will prevail.
Friendly child
Princess was a Grade One learner at Bonga Niven Combined School, which is located on the farm she lived on. “She was always so bubbly and had many friends. She loved her siblings and was always happy to see her family,” says Rossouw.
Her funeral was held on March 14.
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