Slain Soweto boys remembered in memorial service
The suspects threw a plastic bag at the top of a shack behind their house because he saw us roaming around when community members wanted to search houses nearby."
Touching tributes of condolences from learners of surrounding schools, recited poems and songs echoed through Isiseko Primary School on Wednesday afternoon in honour of the two slain boys Mduduzi Nqobizitha Zulu(5) and Tshiamo Rabanye(6).
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The community gathered for the memorial service at the school, where the two boys attended Grade R and Grade 1. They described the murder of the two boys as a senseless killing and a tragedy that has befallen their community.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, who was among the speakers said the killing of the children was a violation of human rights.
Chiloane, applauded the police and community for working around the clock to help arrest the suspects and called for police to ensure that the perpetrators who are working with the apprehended suspects are be brought to book.
“We share in the grief of these learners and their death has left us heart broken, this notwithstanding the callous manner in which they were taken.
“No amount of words can be used to describe this kind of loss,” He said “…We must never forget the names and faces of the children who were taken from us.
“We must at all times honour their memories, by working tirelessly to prevent such tragedies from happening.”
A distraught School principal of Isiseko Primary, Anna Menoe commented, “As a mother, I am torn but seeing the community here today, I am comforted.
“This has been hard for everyone and it hurts because innocent souls have been killed. We say especially to the family, this must not happen again, to any learner or child in South Africa.”
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Class teachers of the boys, Thokozile Manyathi and Hloniphile Ngidi, who paid tributes, recounted their memories of the learners, and said the school was robbed of its future leaders.
“Nqobizitha, was a different learner. I don’t know how to explain it, you would see that he is an angel of God. When he had done something wrong, he would stare at me and I would feel like maybe I have said a lot. Like any other children, all kids are naughty; he loved playing and talked a lot,” said Manyathi.
While Ngidi, who questioned the gruesome act, said Tshiamo was a determined learner with a bright future.
Community members said it was awfully shocking to learn that a close family member was linked to the brutal murders.
Sbusiso Hlatshwayo, CPF member in the area, who was among the first responders to the scene on the morning of April 21, said the community was still reeling with shock.
“It is scary and we are still shocked as a community. The suspects threw a plastic bag at the top of a shack behind their house because he saw us roaming around when community members wanted to search houses nearby.
“The person who found the plastic, opened it and found it had bloody clothes, we suspect that they wore them when they were killing the kids.”
Police announced that a 50-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner were arrested on murder charges on Tuesday and are set to appear before the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The 50 year old suspect, believed to be a relative of one of the boys, was arrested at her home, located on the same street where one of the bodies was found.
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“The manner in which our community is angry, they wanted her to feel what she put those kids through but we want the law to take its cause, because we need answers from her. We want to know why she did that.
“She needs to tell us what those kids did. We can’t have them back in the same community because the same thing will happen again,” said Hlatshwayo.
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