Moving farewell for slain EL toddler
Call for calm at funeral of Jayde Veldman
SLAIN East London toddler Jayde Amber Veldman was laid to rest at the Buffalo Flats Cemetery on Saturday following a day of tears, singing and moving tributes at a funeral organised at the New Life Church earlier in the day.
Veldman, 3, was buried six days after her body was found in a stream a few metres from her home a day after she went missing. Her senseless killing sent shock waves across the country.
Speakers at the funeral, religious leaders and politicians called for calm in the community of Parkside and urged the more than 200 mourners and well-wishers who converged on the church, not to seek to avenge Jayde’s killing.
Veldman family spokesman Pastor Collin Hendricks described Veldman as “bubbly, straightforward” and popular in her community.
He said she would visit the local spaza shop and order sweets for herself and five friends and tell the shopkeeper her father would pick up the tab.
“She would take all her friends and walk with them to the spaza shop. She would give a sweet to each one of them and take the rest to give to her siblings and relatives.”
Veldman was born on September 7 2013 and died on May 20.She is survived by her parents, Ricardo and Juella Veldman, brother, Ean, 19, and sister, Jaydene, 9.
Ricardo said he would miss his daughter’s wonderful personality.
“I leave everything in the hands of God,” he said.
New Life Church leader Pastor James Louw delivered a heartfelt prayer for all South African men to become better role models for their women and children.
“It is time for all men to rise up and become the men that God ordained us to be.
“It’s injury time, I urge all men to rise up and say ‘not in my name – it starts with me’.”
Hendricks announced that a remembrance project which will create job opportunities for 10 people from Jayde’s Second Creek community would be launched by Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati.
The spirit and name of Jayde will live on in this project.
“We had discussions with the mayor and plans are already in place. The bushes around the creek will be cleared and turned into a memorial site and people will be employed to clean and look after the site where Jayde died.”
Words of condolence from ANC stalwart Dr Nkosazana DlaminiZuma were conveyed on her behalf during the service. Hendricks said Dlamini-Zuma apologised for not making it to the funeral due to a busy campaign trail. Dlamini-Zuma had visited the Veldman family on Tuesday at their Parkside home.
Speaking at the service, ANC Women’s League provincial secretary Nolitha Ntobongwana announced that the league would organise a march against women and children abuse on June 8. Ntobongwana said the march to the Bhisho Legislature, would involve all political parties, religious and traditional leaders and all South African men.
“Men should come along in solidarity with our women. We want them to stand up and say, ‘not in their name’.”
Ntobongwana urged the community at the service to step up and report criminals even if they were family members.
ANC general-secretary Gwede Mantashe announced that the killing of women and children would headline the discussions at the upcoming ANC national conference.