No arrests yet in connection with toddler’s murder

POLICE have yet to arrest anyone in connection with the murder of an East London toddler found hacked to death near her home at the weekend.

The body of Jade Veldman, 3, was found dumped just metres from her Second Creek home on Saturday morning.

She had gone missing the previous day. Police spokeswoman Hazel Mqala said no arrests had been made. “But a postmortem was done today,” she said.

Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday, her father, Ricardo Veldman, said they had received the autopsy report.

“All I can say is that we are feeling a bit relieved,” Veldman said.

He did not want to reveal the details of the report.

Veldman said Jade’s two siblings were taking the murder “a bit hard”.

“My son returned to work today just to keep his mind busy but my daughter is taking it hard.

“She keeps asking questions about her sister because they were quite close,” he said.

Veldman added that he was most concerned for his wife.

“She is absolutely broken because of what happened,” he said.

Jade was last seen on Friday playing outside her home with other children but panic set in when the family realised she had gone missing at about 5pm.

A widespread search for the little girl ensued.

The once happy and loveable child’s lifeless body was found at about 10am on Saturday.

Veldman said he believed the murderer must have been known to his daughter.

Mqala urged anyone with information to contact the Buffalo Flats police station to help with the investigation. —