Stacha killing – man, 31, being questioned

Eleven-year-old’s body found in bushes behind centre close to home

A31-YEAR-OLD man has been taken in for questioning in connection with the murder of Stacha Arendse. Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said the investigation into the death of the Tafelsig girl was continuing and once charged the suspect would appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court.

The body of the 11-year-old was found on Tuesday morning by a search team in a bush behind the Swartklip Centre, which is a few streets away from her home.

The Grade 7 Tafelsig Primary pupil was last seen on Monday wearing black tights and a long black and grey striped dress with slits on the sides. She told her mother she was going to watch a movie at a friend’s house. The friend thought she went home because she (the friend) went to the toilet and when she came back Stacha was gone, said a neighbour.

The chairperson of the the Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum, Abie Isaac, said the forum was satisfied with the progress of the investigation.

“Knowing someone was brought in for questioning in connection with the murder gives us hope that the family and community will get justice for their child. We are proud of the community as they stood together and helped the family.

“We are urging people not to entertain fake news, because we were told that people are misleading others saying Stacha’s killer was arrested,” Isaac said.

Philidelphia Hartzenberg, Ward 99 committee member for Tafelsig, said a night vigil for the girl was held last night, at which community members, police officials and Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum members had shown the Arendse family support.

“At Tafelsig we believe in the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. That is why the community worked tirelessly to try and find Stacha. The whole community is devastated and is mourning with the Arendse family. On Tuesday night, we decided to go back to the field and burn all the bushes. Then on Wednesday afternoon we cleaned the field. We are doing this to prevent criminals from dumping bodies in the bushes. I was told Stacha’s body was not the first to be dumped there,” Hartzenberg said. –