Over 400 pay respects to murdered girl, 10
THE funeral of 10-year-old Misholine Jantjies, who was strangled and stabbed to death in a park in Capricorn, Vrygrond, took place in Lavender Hill on Saturday.
The girl would have turned 11 on the day of the service.
She was murdered in a local park in full view of friends she had been playing with on December 22.
More than 400 mourners crammed into the New Apostolic Church to pay their respects to Misholine, whose mother Margrieta, grandmother Leah and uncle Johannes Dirks were among the pallbearers.
Steenberg CPF chairperson Lucinda Evans said the forum and Vrygrond Community Development Trust (VCDT) had discussed the issue of safety in parks in the area.
Evans is the founder of the Philisa Abafazi Bethu Women and Children’s Programme safe house in Lavender Hill and had spearheaded a demonstration outside the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court against bail for 20year-old Montell Campher, who was appearing in court in connection with Misholine’s murder.
Evans told the Cape Times about the community’s reaction. She said she intended approaching Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith for assistance in setting up street committees and providing them with training and uniforms.
“I had promised to assist them in forming street committees so that they can help protect the children, because gangsters frequent that park and sell drugs there in Vrygrond’s Drury Road.”
Isaac Goliath, a community leader, said: “We must make sure we wipe out the gangsterism and the drug and alcohol abuse in our community.”
Mymoena Scholtz, who leads non-profit organisation Where Rainbows Meet Training and Development Foundation in Vrygrond, said: “It’s heartsore that such brutality had been exercised on an innocent child.
“She (Micholine) attended our organisation’s early Christmas party in Overcome Heights informal settlement. That was the last time I saw her alive.”
Kelvin Cochrane, of the Caring and Managing Public Spaces organisation, was concerned that no City official had attended Micholine’s memorial service a week ago, or her funeral, despite the fact that the girl’s murder had taken place in a park under the City’s control.