SOUTH Africa faces a serious but not new threat as children continue being mercilessly assaulted through kidnapping, rape, and murder by their victims.
In the past few weeks, mothers and grandmothers along with their families and communities cried out in pain as their children died in the strangest ways; however, the rape and killing of six-year-old Amantle Samane in Orlando East, Soweto, was a stark reminder that no place was safe for children in the country.
An undocumented foreign national, Pethe Sara Simiaoa, accused of raping and strangling Amantle to death, was arrested after police conducted a three-day hunt for the Mozambican, who was known by many in the community at the time of the incident.
Action Society said there should be no tolerance for violent criminals, no matter their nationality, adding that children are under threat, not only from foreigners but from criminals from all walks of life.
“Unfortunately, there are violent criminals for whom it does not matter if their victims are women, children, old, young, or even disabled. Theoretically, it should be easier to capture South African criminals than illegal foreigners, but sadly, our police force struggles just as much to solve even the most straightforward crimes because of a lack of resources and experience and an unmanageable caseload.”
The organisation stated that the state should not grant bail to criminals who have committed violent crimes against vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly.
“In the same manner, the parole conditions for these types of criminals should also be much stricter. A criminal who hurts a child will most likely have no qualms about committing other or similar crimes after prison release.
“Furthermore, we want to see that the criminal cabal sample database is up to date and stays up to date, not only with schedule 8 offenders incarcerated after it became law but also those inmates serving sentences from before the date of implementation.”
The organisation mentioned that it wanted to see a lower rate of offences and that it believed that this was one of the most important steps to achieve its goal.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu expressed outrage and called for swift action regarding the rape and murder of Amantle.
Speaking on Thursday at the Safer Festive Season launch in Durban, Mchunu lauded the community, saying they played a major role in catching the suspect and said he would join the community in its call for the suspect to be denied bail.
“I will get a day when he is in court; it is one particular case I’d want to attend just to go and see this animal live, not on TV or social media – and to join those who will be saying no bail to this animal,” said Mchunu.
Meanwhile, echoes of cries from the deaths of dozens of children also came from Naledi, where six children died in a suspected case of food poisoning on Sunday last week in Soweto.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, said the three children who died went to Karabo Primary School in Naledi.
The province’s premier, Panyaza Lesufi, demanded immediate action from law enforcement.
“Those who have been assigned to investigate the matter are called upon to execute their mandate with the necessary speed,” he urged.
He called for a broader investigation, stating that authorities must look beyond Naledi to identify the manufacturer of the snacks that claimed the lives of children aged six to 10.
“We have also asked forensic investigators to provide information as soon as possible, not only to the families but also to law enforcement.
“It always pains me to expose schoolchildren to these kinds of events. School should not be exposed to these kinds of events and cannot be made normal,” he stated.
On Thursday, 24 pupils from the Enzani Primary School in Matsulu outside Mbombela were rushed to the Rob Ferreira Hospital after they complained of abdominal pains and vomiting.
Much like the children who died in Naledi, it is alleged that the learners consumed snacks they bought from a spaza shop.
The Mpumalanga department of education has called on parents and school governing bodies to monitor what learners eat at school and after school.
The department spokesperson, Gerald Sambo, said on on they were concerned about the incidents of food poisoning at their schools.
“Currently, the indication that we are getting is that these learners are stable and they are currently receiving the necessary attention. However, we are going to rely on the report that we are going to get from the hospital through the Department of Health that will indicate clearly what caused this,” he stated.
Sambo added that the explanation the department received from the school was that the pupils consumed the snacks bought from a local spaza shop and that they suspected these snacks to be the cause of the sickness.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za