Those who commit atrocities and murders against children must rot in jail. This was said by the Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Ms Lulu Xingwana, over the weekend.
Speaking in Khayelitsha at the funeral of Zikhona Qhayi, Minister Xingwana said that the recent spate of child murders were a painful reminder of lack of respect for the lives and rights of children. Zikhona was last seen playing with friends outside her home before her disappearance.
“Those who kill children must rot in jail. They are evil. They do not deserve parole”, she said. She encouraged organisations of civil society and individual community members to work with government to fight this scourge. “We have to move with speed to put this murderers behind bars, including the sangomas who pay for the body parts of our children”.
Quoting recent statistics from the South African Police Service, Minister Xingwana said: “The number of children murdered increased by 14.5% and attempted murder by 42.3%. specifically, the number of children murdered increased by 122 cases from 843 t0 965 and attempted murder from 782 to 1 113 cases.” Investigations have revealed that children are murdered by people known to them as well as strangers.
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