Plans for community centre at “house of horrors”
"We have been sent from pillar to post to get to the bottom of this, but we have not been able to establish it which is very frustrating."
Civil organisation and political party have now proposed that Capital Park’s “house of horrors” that gripped the hearts of many Moot residents, where six girls disappeared without a trace, be turned into a pro-active community centre.
Gert van Rooyen and his partner, Joey Haarhoff were accused of killing at least six girls between 1988 and 1989 and trafficking others.
On January 15, 1990, Van Rooyen shot Haarhoff before shooting himself during a dramatic car chase through the streets of the Moot and west of Pretoria.
Along with them, the whereabouts of these six missing girls, went to their graves.
They were Joan Horn (12), Anne-Marie Wapenaar (12), Fiona Harvey (12), Odette Boucher (11), Yolanda Wessels (12) and Tracy-Lee Scott-Crossley (14).
The seventh girl, Joan Booysen (16) escaped from Van Rooyen’s house in 1990.
DA councillor candidate for ward 53, Wayne Helfrich along with Capital Park Residents and Ratepayers Association (Caprra) chairperson Michael Burt have been planning to turn the house into a pro-active community centre.
They initiated a process to turn the home around before lockdown in March 2020, but everything then came to a standstill.
“Up until this day we do not know who the property belongs to. We have been sent from pillar to post to get to the bottom of this, but we have not been able to establish it which is very frustrating.
“We emailed records to parliament and applied for the property to be transferred to us (as residents) so that we can start with the arrangements,” said Helfrich.
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Helfrich added that they have indicated to parliament that they need an answer by the end of the month whether the property can be transferred into Caprra’s name.
“If they (parliament) do not meet our deadline by October 31, we will take it up with them again until we get an answer.
“However, if they do approve our demands, we have a five-year plan to build the pro-active community centre,” he said.
Although they do not have a budget as yet, Helfrich said that numerous residents and businesses have already reached out to them to assist in whichever way they can.
“We have received quite a few phone calls for donations where we can then start with the clean-up of the yard and building process,” he said.
Burt said that the project has been coming along for some time, and that if it becomes reality, they want to use as a shelter for women and children who have been abused.
“We want to be a voice for women and children who suffers from abuse.
“The house will be seen as a shelter where women and children can feel safe and confident to come forward in whichever situation they found themselves in.
“We will handle the situation privately and help create a better future for them,” he said.
Though it has been over 30 years later since the girls disappeared without a trace, Burt added that it still has been an emotional journey.
“Caprra and the community of Capital Park says no to gender-based violence and we have all the resources available to insure a better life for women and children,” he said.
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