He’s champion of the community

Courtney case prime example of how police let us down – former Elsies River CPF deputy head

EXHAUSTED, frustrated, stressed. But most of all disappointed. These are the feelings that describe former deputy chairperson of the Elsies River Community Police Forum, Imraahn Mukaddam who had various executive positions since 2000 and resigned this week.

Mukaddam was tasked with handling the media during the search for Courtney Pieters. And now, he’s become the news.

Thee-year-old’s Courtney’s body was found in a shallow grave nine days after she went missing near her home. And Mukaddam is taking it personally.

“The biggest problem I had, was the investigation in the Courtney Pieters case and the manner in which it was handled initially.

“My own conscience was really bothering me to the extent where I felt I have personally let down the family of Courtney Pieters as well as the community.

“But most importantly that the police bungled the initial investigation and the initial first response to the missing child complaint.”

President Jacob Zuma also lambasted Elsies River police for their handling of the case when he visited the family on Thursday.

According to Mukaddam, police should have “gone through a process in terms of eliminating possible places where Courtney could be and eliminated possible suspects”.

A 40-year-old suspect, Mortimer Saunders, who rented a room in the Pieters’ family home, has since been arrested.

“The suspect that has now been apprehended should have been seen as crucial and he was overlooked. There was a detective that I spoke to on the second or third day (of the search) but he couldn’t give me any concrete information as to what he was doing to find this child.

“I just became so emotionally involved in this ( case) as the media spokesperson I was doing so many interviews daily, and I always had to try and make the CPF and the police look good. And it was bugging me because I know for a fact that our CPF structure could have done more.

“But because of infight-

PICTURES: AYANDA NDAMANE Former deputy chairperson of the Elsies River Community Police Forum Imraahn Mukaddam says the Courtney Pieters case is a perfect example of how the police has failed communities.