The brutal killing of children in South Africa continues to be a matter of great concern. Statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) show that more than 500 children were killed between April and September this year.
As the country observes 16 days of activism to end violence against women and children, child rights groups in the Northern Cape are calling for tougher punishment for child killers. They say, merciless killing of children is a threat to the future of the country.
Anastacia Gedene knows the pain of losing a child to violence. Her three-year-old son Buti Gedene went missing in June. His body was found three weeks later, dumped in a quarry near their home. Anastasia is still trying to come to terms with his death.
“I miss my son. It hurts a lot because he was still very young. Every day I ask myself why this is happening to my child. It hurts.”
Another mother who is still grieving is Sharima Segami. Her daughter Relebagile Segami went missing in April. She was found a day later in the desert, raped and killed. Sharima says she is not coping.
“As I’m still healing, I don’t think I’ll ever get better because my baby will never come back to me. Every time I close my eyes, I just imagine her screaming for help, and there was no help.”
Family of murdered 11-year-old Kimberly demands justice:
Organizations fighting against abuse of women and children in the Northern Cape say brutal crimes against children cannot continue unchallenged. Charmaine Ramasedi, founder of Hebziba Counseling and Wellness Center, explains:
“We need to prioritize our strategies and let the talk end and focus on action and results. We are dealing with broken families. After a child has been raped and killed, you’re sitting with a traumatized family, and so psychosocial services have to be the focus.”
Sharima is comforted by the fact that her daughter’s alleged killer remains behind bars after being denied bail. On the other hand, Anastasia is still hoping to get answers about who killed her son and why.
DISCUSSION | Calls to protect children as attacks and killings increase:
