A 32-year-old man appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on Monday 17 April in connection with the killing and raping of 13-year-old Thimna Kuze.
The man, whose identity has been withheld for legal reasons, was nabbed on Friday 14 April, after being on run for several weeks.
READ | Police arrest suspect linked to Khayelitsha teen’s mysterious death
Thimna, who went on a sleepover with friends, was found dead in Taiwan informal settlement in Site C on Saturday 25 March.
Thimna’s father Malidume Soxhokashe said they wanted the suspect to rot in jail.
“We are still heartbroken as a family because his arrest won’t bring back my daughter’s life. But I want to see him rot in jail. We want the justice system to do its job,” said Soxhokashe.
However, he expressed his disappointment at the handling of the case.
He blamed the police for deliberately delaying the arrest, claiming they instead removed the accused from the community.
“After a commotion ensued in the community, with some family members wanting to attack the suspect, the police took him with and drove away. The officers told me straight that they are not going to arrest him, instead they took him away from the community to save his life,” related Soxhokashe.
On Monday 17 April, Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the family.
His visit was cautiously welcomed by the community.
In his address, Cele described the incident as barbaric, but refused to be drawn into the details of the matter.
Cele questioned the men’s behaviour and called for some action to be taken against criminals. He stated that police try their best to arrest the culprits but they are released by the courts.
“As police we are caught between the rock and the hard place. We are arresting the culprits and the courts release them back to the community.
“We need to find a way of working with our justice system so that the perpetrators can stay in jail. You will find that all the people who have been arrested for gender-based violence, rape, stealing etc are all out on bail. We need to form a political cluster and meet with the justice personnel like the NPA, prosecutors and everybody and tell us why,” said Cele.
He stated that when the justice department release the suspects on parole, police were not informed and they (police) suffered like sacrificial lambs.
Cele said that the officers need to be proactive rather than reactive.
However, Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum chair Mbulelo Bambelo questioned Cele’s visit. He said there was nothing tangible from him.
Bambelo added that it was not the first time Cele visited the area.
“He had Imbizo in Makhaza last year. He came here numerous times when there were mass shooting in Site C. We understand that he was here just to comfort the grieving families. But all we want is a change in our communities. If there is no change, in future the CPF and NHW will reject him and mobilise the community to do so as well,” warned Bambelo.
He said Khayelitsha residents lived in fear because of the escalating crime..
Khayelitsha police station commander Brig Mnoneleli Magobiyane stated that the suspect appeared in Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court on Monday 17 April for a case of child abuse. “We are waiting for the post mortem results to arrive. Then, once the results have come and confirm that the deceased was raped then the case can change to murder,”he stated.
The suspect will appear again in court on Wednesday 3 May.
