Family struggles to deal with tragic loss of Cuburne

According to Cuburne’s father, Elroy Petersen, the face of the child found on the mine dump had been badly bruised, with one half of his body burnt beyond recognition.

The last time his family had seen him alive was a little while before he vanished on Wednesday afternoon, August 6, when he was playing with his sister and brother outside the yard of his aunt’s shack in Road Reserve, Ramaphosa.

An alleged homeless drug addict, known as ‘Chicken’ to the community is said to have abducted Cuburne on Wednesday afternoon after offering him a biscuit, leaving behind an angry and distraught family and community.

The police are saying witnesses saw the alleged suspect who lives in the neighbourhood, walking with the boy towards Elsburg. Police have launched a manhunt for ‘Chicken’.

“I don’t know how to deal with what has happened to my child. It’s an extremely difficult situation to handle. I’m very sad. It’s like someone is ripping my heart out. How to get through what we are going through?” says a weeping Lizelle van Wyk, mother of Cuburne.

“I’m heartbroken. I never ever expected this to happen,” she says as tears roll down her cheeks.

Lizelle also wants to know if the police will do anything to protect the community’s defenceless children from ruthless attackers?

“Lately, our children are being targeted and killed like dogs. These killers must be found and justice must be served. How do you kill a three-year-old defenceless child without remorse?”

She stressed how important it is for parents to always keep a watchful eye on their children, because it just takes a second for the ‘devils’ to pounce on them.

The boy’s father Elroy Petersen visited the morgue and identified the body of his son.

He told the Advertiser that he has no doubt the body found was his son.

“He was killed; I don’t know for what reason,” he says as he appears to fight back tears.

Petersen said finding his son’s killers is important to the family and the community at large.

“I appeal to my fellow community members to help us find the killer, because the suspect is still on the run. The police will take it from there. I have seen the body and it is not a good picture.

“I don’t even have words anymore for the people who killed my son. I want to thank all those who have been with us, helping us to locate our son during the search,” adds Petersen.

Petersen could not confirm the rumour that his son’s external reproductive organs are missing.

“I’m not quite sure about that, because his groin is badly burnt. So it’s difficult for me to tell if there is any missing organ.”

Cuburn’s eldest aunt, Leonora Dewee, is distraught over the sudden loss of Cuburne.

The emotional aunt described Cuburne as a lovely boy, who used to laugh all the time.

“He was a good kid and now he’s gone. He was innocent. He was only three. I actually used to take care of him after crèche until his mother and father came back from work.

“It’s such a great loss, not just to us, but also to the community on losing another child in the most gruesome of ways.”

Funeral services are pending, but the family is asking for help paying for those expenses as they can’t afford to pay for the funeral.

Women of Ramaphosa will tomorrow (Wednesday morning) march from Noncedo Pre-School to the Reiger Park SAPS, all wearing black tops. They are calling for drastic action saying child killing has become common in their community.

“We are struggling with crisis after crisis in the area,” says the angry women of Reiger Park.

The premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, visited the family on Monday to express his condolences.

* The van Wyk family is not the only parents that lost a child in such a horrifying manner. The Morris family also recently lost a child during a hijacking incident in Reiger Park.

Last month, four-year-old Taegrin Morris was killed during a hijacking when he was trapped in a seatbelt and dragged behind his mother’s car.

A few months ago, the metro had to bury a 10-year-old boy who was also abducted by a stranger, and found days later hidden in the bushes along Elsburg Road. He was allegedly raped, killed and also partially burnt.

Police are yet to make arrests in connection with the crimes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Reiger Park detectives on 011 916 7000. – @FanieBoksburg