Grieving families mourn together
Murder suspect of Rene Tracy Roman to appear in court today
HUNDREDS of people attended the funeral of Rene Tracy Roman, 13, whose body was discovered in a backyard shed of a neighbour. After a tireless search by her mother, family, community members and the police, two weeks after she went missing, her body was found at a neighbour’s house about 10m from where she lived.
A man has been arrested for her murder. Andrew Plaatjies, 50, is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today.
On Saturday community members, family and friends came together in an outpouring of grief and respect for Roman. The family of another murdered girl Stacha Arendse, whose body was found in bushes in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, also attended the funeral.
Roman’s sobbing uncle, Mohammed De Villiers, said it had still not sunk in that Rene was really gone even after they had buried her. They were thankful to everyone who supported them.
“The funeral was very difficult and it still feels like a bad dream that one could wake up from. We are thankful for the hundreds who attended, those who were touched by her death and expressed so on social media and also those who have supported us from day one.
“We are worried about Chrissandre (her mother) because she is pregnant and the funeral hit her hard.”
De Villiers said the family was also thankful Arendse’s family supported them by going to the memorial service and attending the funeral even though they were also hurting because they lost their daughter under the same circumstances.
Director of Women Hope for the Nation, Aysha Davids, said they wanted to show support with the message that “violence against children must stop, enough is enough”.
“We went to the funeral to pay respects to the family and say our last farewell to our child who was brutally taken away from us.
“This broke everyone’s hearts and will strike a chord with every parent that this can happen anywhere and to anyone. Many people came today in respect and mourning but this cannot be forgotten.”
A convicted rapist out on parole, Randy Tango, 31, a neighbour of Arendse was arrested on Wednesday and charged for the murder of the 11-year-old.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said: “In the fight against violence against women and children, police have arrested and charged a suspect following the murder of an 11-year-old girl whose body was found in the early hours of March 28, in Mitchells Plain.
“The 31-year-old man will appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court today and remains in police custody.
Rwexana said they urge the community not to take the law into their own hands but to allow the SAPS to do their work and bring the suspect before court, after cops were called to guard the house of the suspect when an angry mob tried to burn the structure down.
“On March 30 two suspects aged 23 years old were arrested for public violence after protest action erupted in the Mitchells Plain area while the police were busy at the scene of the murder of Arendse.
“Any attack on a suspect by community members is regarded as a criminal offence and is punishable by law.”
THIS BROKE EVERYONE’S HEARTS AND WILL STRIKE A CHORD WITH EVERY PARENT