The hartseer family of Tasleema Erasmus, 42, says they are devastated after being called to Sabie Road on Thursday afternoon where her lifeless body was found. The mom had run out to fetch her son as fights broke out.
According to a relative, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, they believe Tasleema was intentionally shot as she had been vocal about the fights between child skollies, where laaities as young as nine years old engage in stone throwing fights.
The relative says: “Tasleema is a mom of five children and she worked as an information officer for a men’s circumcision clinic.
“On Thursday chaos broke out between the Okka boys and the Sabie Kidz, and Tasleema ran out to fetch her son who was on the corner.
“As the fight got worse and the laaities pulled out knives, we just heard skote and saw Tasleema had been shot.
“The bullet went through her neck and she was declared [deceased] on the scene.”
Manenberg Station Commander Colonel Jayce Naidoo confirms the shooting and reports: “As the victim fetched her son from the street, a single gunshot rang out and she was the victim of that fatal gunshot.
“She sustained a serious and fatal gunshot wound to the face, she collapsed and died on the road way, just outside her home.
“An 18-year-old male also part of the stone throwing was hit in the left leg and transported to hospital for medical treatment.
“It is unknown why she was the target of this fatal shooting. A case of murder and attempted murder has been opened for investigation, a single cartridge has been collected as evidence.No arrests have been made.”
On Saturday, hundreds of mourners gathered for Tasleema’s janazah, as religious leaders pleaded with youngsters to end the violence.
The relative adds: “There were over 400 people and the community is devastated. Tasleema was very vocal about the fights because she warned someone could get seriously hurt.
“She also didn’t like the gangsters recruiting and training children to fight and was worried about the futures of her sons.
“After the janazah we took her to Klip Road Cemetery [for burial] where we begged the laaities to stop the violence.”
monique.duval@inl.co.za