NOTE: Article first appeared on The Citizen website on October 18, 2014.
Nine year old, Veronicah Mofokeng was laid to rest today after disappearing from her father’s Soshanguve home last month. Her body was found dumped at a construction site, mere metres away from her home.
Her aunt, Jenah Lebogo said Veronicah said: “she disappeared on September 6… Her body was found on September 15″.
Lebogo explained that Veronicah’s face was burnt, making it difficult to identify her body. Buried at the site, were her clothes and used condoms.
The family only received DNA confirmation that the body was in fact Veronica’s, this week, nearly a month after the little body was found. Her killer and rapist is still at large.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the funeral in Soshanguve, Tshwane today.
“The way she died broke my heart,” he said, adding that Veronicah’s killer had violated her rights as a child. He called on the community to help police find the killer and that they should “speak out”.
Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi was also in attendance. He said in the past 150 days that he has been in office, he has attended six funerals of children in the province. “This is a difficult and painful exercise,” he lamented.
Inconsolable teachers and learners from Nchuncheko Primary School were in attendance at the funeral service.
In recent months a number of child killings have taken place in Gauteng:
– Taegrin Morris (4) – Taegrin died after being dragged for several kilometers during the hijacking of his mother’s car in Reiger Park. His killers are still at large.
– Curburne van Wyk (3) – Curbune’s little body was found burnt and dumped in a mine dump in Reiger Park. He was reported missing a week prior. A man, Katlego Phoku, has been arrested.
– Luke Tibbetts (3) – Luke was shot in the back by a stray bullet. He was sitting on his mother’s lap. The bullet was supposedly meant for his uncle who was also in the car. Luke was in ICU on life support machines for a week. Two men Lindray Khakhu and Keenan Mokwena were arrested.
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