President Cyril Ramaphosa is sending one of his top advisers to deal with the embarrassing situation in which murdered Tazne van Wyk’s family was built a shack following promises he had made.
On Friday, the eight-year-old girl’s mom Carmen joined the ANC’s men’s dialogue on action towards gender equality and the elimination of gender-based violence, where she raised her concerns about the investigation and how the family was being treated by court officials.
Tazne’s kidnapping and murder sparked an outcry on the Cape Flats in February this year.
The girl was snatched just metres from her home in Ravensmead and cops later tracked down suspect Moehydien Pangaker, 54, in Cradock where he was arrested for kidnapping.
Tazne’s body was found dumped in a stormwater drain in Worcester and it was revealed in court that she had also been raped and her right hand was cut off.
After Carmen talked about the bad treatment she had received in court and broken promises from government, the president brought up the issue of the house himself.
In February, Ramaphosa and a delegation visited Tazne’s family, and he spent 20 minutes talking to the bereaved parents alone.
He also apologised for Pangaker’s release on parole.
He had been jailed for murdering his own son in 2001.
He had kidnapped the boy from his mother in Ladismith and two months later beat his son to death after the boy complained that he was hungry.
In the video meeting, Carmen asked Ramaphosa what happened to the promises he had made then, when he also instructed his ministers to make sure the investigation ran smoothly.
“Ever since then, we have not heard of them. Not even a message, nothing,” the mom said while cradling her youngest child on her lap.
She cited Pangaker’s most recent court appearance in August where dad Terence had a tense face-off with the suspect.
“And there is matters with the court case, even with the last one we were treated as if we are the criminals.
“My partner Terence, the father of Tazne, the officers there were treating him very disrespectfully.
“It is a concerned matter for us despite all the other promises made.”
Ramaphosa then said he was mortified that his promises of a house had apparently boiled down to a Wendy house.
The president told Carmen on Friday that he would take action to fulfil his promises, which meant providing her with a proper house.
”We are going to take this matter forward and we are going to see to it that what we did say to you will happen,” he said.
“I am very sorry and embarrassed that this has not happened.
The mother of a 8-year old Western Cape girl Tazne van Wyk's says President Cyril Ramaphosa hasn't kept his promises. Carmen says the system has instead treated her and her family like criminals. #EndGBV pic.twitter.com/vMCe1hwH0n
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) September 4, 2020
“This very week I was asked, somebody came to ask did we say we are going to build a Wendy house for the Van Wyk family.
“I said there’s just no way that I could ever have said that we are going to build a Wendy house.”
He said his social policy adviser, Professor Olive Shisana, would be in touch with the family soon.
daiyvoice@inl.co.za