President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday apologised to the family of Tazne van Wyk for releasing her alleged killer on parole.
The eight-year-old girl’s home was surrounded by hundreds of residents on Tuesday afternoon as Ramaphosa and his entourage rolled into Ravensmead to meet her parents.
A large contingent of cops including the Anti-Gang Unit blocked the street and kept the large crowd behind crime scene tape as Ramaphosa arrived shortly after 5pm.
Uitsig resident, dad Ricardo Lewis, 39, said they wanted Ramaphosa to come up with a solution for crime: “He comes here to address his business, dit is f*k** werd vir ons. He must bring back the death penalty, then I think crime will go down in our communities.”
Uitsig resident, dad Ricardo Lewis, 39. Video: Monique Duval
After spending about 20 minutes inside the house with mom Carmen and dad Terence Manuel, Ramaphosa emerged and addressing the crowd and media, apologised for his government’s failure by freeing and allowing convicted child killer, Moehydien Pangaker, to roam the streets.
Pangaker was jailed for murdering his own son in 2001.
In April, he kidnapped the boy from his mother in Ladismith and in June he beat his son to death after the boy complained that he was hungry.
Ramaphosa slammed the parole system as he apologised for the death of the Grade 3 learner from Eurecon Primary School, who was snatched just metres from her home.
Following his arrest in Cradock last
Monday, Pangaker led police on Thursday to a storm drain in Worcester where he had dumped her.
SUSPECT: Moehydien Pangakar
“We have come to pay our respects to the family for the untimely death of this little girl who was brutally killed,” said Ramaphosa to cheers.
“She was brutally killed by somebody who should never have been released on parole.”
He said it was clear that a mistake had been made with the release of Pangaker.
“There is something wrong with our parole system. There is something that went horribly wrong.
“The parole board should have realised that he is not a candidate to be released on parole.
“I stand here to say we are very sorry as the
government that a person who was never supposed to be released on parole was released, we are sorry about that.
“The pain that all of you are feeling here.”
He reiterated his earlier stance that no bail should be given to child and women killers as the crowd called for him to bring back the death penalty.
Meanwhile, Tazne’s parents spent the morning at the mortuary in Worcester where they went to identify their child’s decomposed body.
Speaking to the Daily Voice shortly after Ramaphosa left, Carmen said forensics did not inform her of the injuries or what caused her daughter’s death.
“According to them, that is the police’s work to tell us. They confirmed it was Tazne based on her finger and palm prints but said more tests must still be done on the body.
“I had to see her body and it was not a nice experience,” the heartbroken mom says.
VICTIM: Little Tazne van Wyk
She says the private meeting with Ramaphosa went well as he was understanding of their plight but the parents also used the opportunity to highlight their concerns around the police investigation and called on the president to make sure that another child does not die in this manner.
The family plans to lay Tazne to rest on Saturday and said details of the funeral will be announced later this week.
