Bokgabo Poo murder: ‘We still do not know where some body parts are’

The family of four-year-old Bokgabo Poo, who was raped and killed in Benoni last year, have to wait until 30 March to get answers about their child’s gruesome killing.

Ntokozo Zikhali, 28, stands accused of raping and killing Poo, whose body was found mutilated. He appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court yesterday where the matter was postponed for instructions of the director of public prosecution (DPP) yesterday.

Instructions

Prosecutor Elizabeth Bisi said they were still waiting for instructions from the DPP on whether the matter would be tried in the regional or the high court.

Bokgabo’s mother, Tsholofelo Poo, said she could only hope the matter would go to the High Court for a proper trial. She said she was looking forward to the next court date to hear how far the investigations had got. “You wake up one day and feel like you’re dreaming.

“You pinch yourself and the next day is the reality that you can’t hear that voice and you can’t tuck her in. “This is a pain and a scar I’ll live with for the rest of my life and I can’t shake it off,” Tsholo said.

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Family spokesperson

Family spokesperson Themba Seya said despite burying Poo in December, they still did not know where some of her body parts where, including a leg, an arm and her intestines. “

We do not know the truth about what is happening but investigations are still ongoing. “We need the truth to come out. We still have hope that we will find the other body parts,” said Seya. He said the family believed Poo’s death was a ritual killing because of the missing body parts.

This view was informed by the examination of the body undertaken by the family, he suggested. “There is no way she was raped and killed and that’s it. “When we looked at the body, you could see there were things that were done,” he said. Seya said despite the public outcry by community members, none of Zikhali’s family members have reached out to them.

“We have not heard anything from his family. “We hear he has a mother, he should have sisters or brothers but we haven’t seen any of them,” he said.

But he said they believed that one day they would find out what had really happened to Poo. “He [Zikhali] must eventually tell the truth and the people who were working with him must come out.

“If the truth comes out, we are able to heal and we are able to forgive. “We can’t keep living like this. “How many children are being killed like this and how many kids are being used for rituals?

“We have to put a stop to it. “Today is Valentine’s Day, but we can’t smile, we can’t laugh because there are things that still need to be addressed.”

Safety measures

Meanwhile, Tsholofelo said after the renaming of the park where her child was abducted to Bokgabo Park, she would like to see the park secured and dedicated to children. “It must be very safe for kids,” said Tsholofelo. “I would expect the city to install proper fencing, proper surveillance and have people watching the kids while they play in the park,” she added.

Magistrate Rauwane Motsomane postponed the matter to 30 March.

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– lungam@citizen.co.za