South Africans
across the country, the social media, the community of Jan Kempdorp and the
Northern Cape on Monday August 15th, joined the family of six-year-old
Kutlwano
Garesape in mourning the brutal death of the young hero.
According to
local media, Kutlwano and his mother were walking to school at Jan Kempdorp in
the northern Cape when they were attacked on Friday. The child was stabbed
repeatedly with a broken bottle by an assailant identified as Tefelo Dikole‚
32‚ who has already appeared in the Jan Kempdorp Magistrate’s Court.
Segomotso
Garesape‚ 42‚ was attacked while walking her two sons‚ aged six and eight‚ to
school after they missed their bus. Kutlwano slapped and kicked the man as he
attempted to strangle his mother‚ screaming: "Let go of my mommy"
"I heard
my child crying out for me and I saw him trying to defend himself with his
hands. The man just kept on stabbing him‚"
People from
across the country have conveyed their condolences to the family and offered to
help them. The attack was met with outrage and heartache on social media.
Daphne
Mufamadi tweeted‚ "Im shattered by the Killing of 6 year old Kutlwano
Garesape‚ stabbed to death trying to protect his mother"
Community
members meanwhile protested outside the court and opposed bail for the accused,
calling for him to be kept behind bars. They labelled the attack on Segomotso
Garesape and her two young children as a savage act and said the attacker “must
pay”.
"This is
a small community where we all know each other.
The fact that the mother knew
the attacker, and he continued to hurt her, is just shocking," one
community member said. " This angers the community even more as this
incident now inflicts fear in all of us and we feel that we are not safe. As a
parent, you now really worry about the safety of your children - because this
woman and her children were attacked during the morning hours whilst they were
walking to school. It is heartbreaking .... as the child died in his mother’s
arms."
The Premier of
the Northern Cape, Sylvia Lucas, also expressed her condolences to the family
in a statement released on Monday.
"This
senseless and insensitive attack comes during a month when we actively advocate
for the rights of women. There can be no justifiable reason or explanation for
one person to inflict so much pain and suffering on an innocent child. Kutlwano
had his whole life ahead of him and one merciless act destroyed the life of a
child, that of his parents and the community at large.
More disturbing is the
fact that this innocent boy was on his way to school to obtain an education.
The community of Jan Kempdorp and the Northern Cape has been deprived of a
future leader and we thus call on all communities to always stand up and
protect the wellbeing of our children. This senseless act cannot and will not
be tolerated.
The Northern Cape provincial government expresses its heartfelt
condolences to the family, friends and community at large and calls on
especially men to defend and uphold the rights of our women and children. We
have full confidence that the law enforcement agencies will deal with the
matter in the appropriate manner and with the urgency it deserves," said
Lucas.
Kutlwano's
father, Frank Jacobs, said that the family did not attend court proceedings on
Monday as they were at the mortuary in Hartswater. He said they will make an
official announcement on Kutlwano’s funeral later.
"We wish
to have the funeral this coming Saturday, however, the autopsy is still being
conducted and we will afford the law enforcement agencies an opportunity to
conclude their investigation. The funeral will be held in Taung but we will
release further details later this week,” Jacobs said.
The case was
postponed to August 22 for a formal bail application.
Source:
Sowetan Live/IOL
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