This article first appeared on Pretoria East Rekord website
rekordeast.co.za
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
12 year-old girl found mutilated in Hammanskraal. The girl was found by community members dumped nearby dam.
According to her grandmother Johanna Banda, she was found raped, her throat slit and her intestines were spilling out.
Keitumetsi’s mutilated body was found dumped near a dam in New Eesterust, Hammanskraal,on Saturday.
Police had already arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with the murder.
“During our preliminary investigation, police arrested the man who was last seen with the girl,” said police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela.
“On the Saturday morning, the body of the girl was found next to the dam at Stinkwater with injuries. The man was then charged with murder.”
The man appeared in the Morelete Magistrate’s court on Tuesday. The case was postponed to 18 December for a formal bail application.
Keitumetsi had been missing since two days before the gruesome discovery.
“Her oldest brother is the one that saw her body and he has not eaten since, he has only been drinking tea,” Johanna said.
“I just wish he could get counselling. Her mother can’t even eat, she has been falling when she stands up. This has had a bad impact on them.”
Keitumetsi’s mother ,Agnes, said the last time she saw her daughter was on Friday when she visited her father’s house.
Her father’s house is four houses away from the Banda’s family home.
Agnes said it was around 18:55 when she started worrying when her child was not back home.
“I was told by some local children that Itu had gone with a man, known to the family, because he wanted to ‘send her somewhere’,” she said.
“We looked for him until we decide to call the police. Police arrived between 20:00 and 21:00. Her father and aunt, accompanied by the police, went to this man’s house but they searched and did not find anyone.
“After the police left, community members grouped themselves and went looking for the man and the child. When we finally found him, I asked him to give me back my child but he said he didn’t know who my child was,” she said.
“Police were called and the children identified him. That is when he was taken by the police.I am in pain because of what happened to my child.”
Keitumetsi’s aunt,Juliana,described her as an ambitious child who “aspired to be the best and change other people’s lives”.
Itu’s grandmother,Johanna and her mother Agnes Banda. Photo by Lunga Mzangwe
“She loved school and always told me she wanted to be a pilot or social worker.
“She always told me she wanted to help children that are less fortunate and she loved going to church,” Juliana said.
“I am hurt by what happened to her, the only justice for us is to impose a death sentence to the people responsible for her death.
“The person or people responsible for this will someday come back after serving their time but we never get her back,” she said.
“In June, she survived a house fire. This was after the house caught fire during load shedding because of a candle.”
