A community reels and rallies

Concerned community members from Etete gathered together at Umhlali police station on Thursday, August 6 to take a strong stance against violent crime in their area.

A group of more than 70 people met to intercept the magistrate hearing of a 24-year-old man accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a five-year-old girl in Etete at the end of June.

Chairman of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), Bongumusa Mkhize, who organised the gathering, said that the people of Etete are fed up with their children being in danger of violent sex offenders.

“We are here to take a stand against violent crime and to say to the magistrate that the man who did this must get a life-sentence without the possibility of parole,” said Mkhize, who represented the concerns and wishes of the community members.

Mkhize hopes the powerful message of concern expressed by his community has been received and that justice will be served.

The 24-year-old man accused of the crime is yet to appear in court, but community members promise to follow his trial closely.

“We want to make sure crimes such as these do not happen in our area again – we want to make an example out of this man, who we know to also be a drug dealer,” said Mkhize as he led members of his community back outside the police station.

Warrant officer Naidoo, who has been leading the investigation of this case from the start, said that the delicate nature of this case makes the presence of the Etete community understandable.

“I have been involved in this case from the start and it is obviously a very difficult case to handle, given the seriousness of the crime,” said Naidoo, as she explained that the man has been remanded into police custody, where he will stay until the beginning of his trial.