Cape Town - Police are yet to arrest a suspect on the run for the murder of 13-year-old Thimna Kuze, nearly two weeks after she was raped and killed.
The teenager from Site C, Khayelitsha, was raped and killed while at a sleepover at her twin friends’ home on March 25.
According to reports, the suspect, who is the twins’ uncle, allegedly bought alcohol and forced the girls to drink before raping all of them and subsequently killing Kuze.
Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi said: “The circumstances leading to the incident are still under investigation.
The investigating officer is going the proverbial extra mile in a bid to obtain information which can place the suspect on the scene and ultimately detain the suspect.”
Kuze’s mother, Nokuthula, said she was battling to accept the death of her daughter and the fact that the suspect was known and yet not arrested.
“My daughter was killed and raped, her life was cut short, I will not be at peace until the man is arrested for what he did to my baby girl.
“Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be here preparing to lay my baby girl to rest, but here we are and my heart breaks with every passing day.”
Meanwhile, the man accused of killing 10-year-old Denecke Presence from Macassar abandoned his bail application at the Somerset West Magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
Presence’s body was discovered in a canal in Marvin Park along the N2 by a search party after she was reported missing on March 11.
She was last seen at a shop between the J, K and L flats in the area where her grandmother stays.
Geraldo Solomons, 55, who was the Presence family’s landlord, was arrested last week and faces charges of murder and kidnapping.
Angry community members gathered outside court with placards, singing and calling for Solomons to be denied bail.
Macassar Community Police Forum acting chairperson, Rhoda-Ann Bazier, said: “The residents came out in numbers to support the family. The suspect says he doesn’t want bail and we also gathered over 2 000 signatures in the petition calling for bail to be denied.”
Kuze will be laid to rest on Saturday at her home in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape.
Anyone with information that may assist in the arrest of Kuze’s murder suspect can anonymously call Crime stop at 0860 010111, or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
Cape Times