A mother from Ocean View says she has lost faith in the police over the lack of progress in apprehending her son’s killers.
Mellany Dick, 49, says that her 18-year-old son Romero was shot seven times during the festive season in 2018.
“I sent him to the shop for milk and I just heard all the gunshots, but I didn’t think it would be him.
“The child next door then came to shout ‘they shot Romero’. He was shot once in the neck, once in the back and five in his head,” she explains.
Mellany says that Romero was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she claims that the case has not progressed or new information provided to her in five years.
“Hulle sê my niks,” she adds. “Every time I ask the detective then there’s no answer, and I’m tired of all the lies from the Ocean View police station.”
The hartseer mom tells the Daily Voice that she wants closure and justice for her late son.
“Die saak was nog nooit by die hof nie. I’m upset because they can’t do their work. I really need closure,” Mellany wyses.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirms the shooting.
“This office can confirm that the mentioned incident is a murder, which occurred where the deceased was shot and died on the scene,” he says.
“The motive is unknown but the possibility that this incident was gang-related is under investigation.”
Van Wyk adds that there were very few to no leads to follow up on and the family was informed of this.
“They were also asked that if they heard anything regarding who could be involved or of any witnesses they were to contact the investigating officer immediately. Investigations continue,” he says.
However, Mellany rejects the police’s claims, alleging that cops never did their job properly.
“Hulle is bekend met die skietery, hulle weet wie hy is.
“There are so many witnesses who saw. The thing is this, that SAPS never took the time to go ask,“ she says.
Van Wyk went on to urge mense with any information about this incident to anonymously contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za