Eldorado Park community mourns baby Nikita and vows to fight child abuse
The tragic death of four-year-old Nikita from Eldorado Park has united leaders, family and residents in a call to protect children from violence. Her memorial service highlighted the urgent need for community action to ensure every child’s safety and dignity.
The funeral for four-year-old Nikita from Eldorado Park will take place today (August 19).
The service will be held at the Don Mateman Hall before she is taken to her final resting place at the Nasrec Cemetery.
The family’s service will begin at 08:00, while the community may join at 09:00.
The family and community celebrated Nikita’s short life during her memorial service at the Don Mateman Hall on August 17.
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She died after spending two nights in the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital’s intensive care unit.
She was brutally assaulted by her father (32) on August 6. By the time police arrived, she already lay unconscious on the bed.
The chairperson of the Section 79 Development Planning and Ward 18 Clr, Juwairiaya Kaldine, and residents and local businesses organised the memorial service.
The united spirit of a hurt community filled the hall. Those present included religious leaders and government representatives like CoJ Speaker Magarete Arnolds and chairperson of the Gauteng Legislature, Dalton Adom.
Speaking at the memorial service, Arnolds said the death of the four-year-old was a painful reminder of the urgent need to protect children.
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“Her life was stolen most cruelly and unimaginably by the very hands that should have held her with love and protection.
“This is a wound not only carried by her family, but by each of us who believe that every child deserves safety, dignity and love.”
Arnolds lamented that at four years old, the child should have had her future ahead of her, the laughter of childhood, the joy of school, and the hope of dreams yet to be fulfilled.
Instead, her life was cut short, leaving the community and family with broken hearts and unanswered questions.
“But even as we grieve, we must rise together as a community and say: Never again must we allow a child’s cries to go unheard.
“Silence is not an option. Protecting our children is not the responsibility of one institution; it belongs to all of us.
“The struggle will not be won in offices and boardrooms alone; it must be fought in our streets, in our homes and our communities,” Arnolds stated.
Adom took a moment to remember the deceased girl’s three-year-old brother, “He has been taken from his family.
“He is at a safe house. At three years old, he does not know what is going on, so I want you to remember him. His sister is no longer with us, and his parents are somewhere in prison,” said Adom.
The four-year-old’s uncle, John Adward ‘Rayno’ Vaaltyn, said this was his second time coming to the venue to bid farewell to a loved one.
“I can’t cry. I tried to, but something inside me says, ‘Be strong’. It is not my first time being here. It is my second time coming here to fetch a body; the first time was my sister,” he said.
He thanked community members who celebrated the memories of the four-year-old.
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During her address, Kaldine said, “On behalf of the CoJ, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Baby Nikita. Her passing is not only a family’s loss but a tragedy felt across our community and nation.”
She said Nikita’s short life reminds everyone of the urgent shared responsibility to protect every child from abuse and violence.
“Silence is not an option. We must unite as families, neighbours, leaders and organisations to create safer environments where children can grow in love and security. May her memory inspire action, lasting change, and justice for all vulnerable children,” she said.
