Laaitie, 14, applies for bail in murder case

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy is currently applying for bail in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder and attempted murder. 

On Friday, the defence counsel for the teen were pleading their case to have the child released on bail.

But, the matter has been rolled over to Monday, September 8, for the State to cross-examine the minor and call the investigating officer to the stand as it opposes the release of the teenager.

The teenager is alleged to be the shooter behind the murder of a 31-year-old man and the attempted murder of a four-year-old girl in Hoop Crescent in Saxonsea on Wednesday. 

The incident took place at 7.30am as children were headed to school. 

According to police, the toddler was walking with her mother on her way to daycare when she was struck by a stray bullet. She was rushed to the Red Cross Children’s War Memorial Hospital, where it has been reported she remains in a critical condition. 

The 31-year-old man, alleged to be affiliated with a local gang, died on the scene. 

However, the swift response from police saw the apprehension of the 14-year-old within two hours of the shooting. 

Speaking to IOL, Atlantis Ward Councillor, Allister Lightburn expressed how disappointed he was when he heard the murder accused was a 14-year-old boy. 

“It is becoming a pattern now that gangs are using youngsters to do their dirty work. I am very sad but unfortunately, the law has to take its course. It is sad that youngsters are now into gang activities,” Lightburn said. 

Spokesperson for Ilitha Labanthu, Siyabulela Monakali said the organisation, which has worked in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) for over three decades, is deeply disturbed by this incident. 

“What is particularly alarming about this case is the age of the alleged perpetrator. The fact that children are increasingly becoming not only the victims of violence but also the perpetrators speaks to the extent of the breakdown in our society. 

“A culture of violence has taken root, where cycles of trauma, neglect, poverty, and easy access to firearms are robbing children of their innocence and shaping them into participants in violence rather than beneficiaries of nurturing care,” he said. 

Monakali said this is not an isolated act but part of a wider national crisis that demands urgent and coordinated action. 

“South Africa cannot ignore the reality that the perpetrators of violence are getting younger, a reality that reflects systemic failures to protect, guide, and empower our children…,” Monakali said.