Four-year-old Bokgabo Poo was laid to rest in Wattville, Benoni, on Monday. Picture: Twitter
Bokgabo Poo was laid to rest on Monday in Wattville, Benoni, three weeks after her mutilated body was found in the veld and her leg was buried in a shallow grave at a women’s yard.
Family, friends and community members gathered and ushered her coffin to her final resting place at the Boksburg Sub-Regional Cemetery.
Poo’s family had delayed the funeral with hopes that her murder accused would disclose where he had placed of the rest of her body parts.
What was remaining of the four-year-old was found a day after she was reported missing, when she went to play at the local park with a friend.
Her playmate told the community that a stranger approached them and sent him to go buy sweets alone. When he returned, both the man and Poo were no longer at the park.
A suspect, Ntokozo Khulekani Zikhali, was arrested shortly after the minor’s mutilated body was discovered by community members searching for her.
READ MORE: Search for Bokgabo Poo’s missing body parts leads to discovery of another body
The 30-year-old was the last person seen walking with Poo, on CCTV footage from a local tavern.
He has since made court appearances on charges of kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and violating a corpse.
During these court appearances, the distraught father of Poo, Irvin Ndlovu pleaded with the accused to at least give the family closure and tell them where they could find the rest of her body parts.
Unfortunately, the family had to bury what remained of her body because the suspect has not said anything regarding her missing body parts.
In attendance was the Deputy Minister of State Security, Zizi Kodwa, who said communities must work with the police to combat crime.
“I was quite impressed when I heard that the community here has been doing patrols since this incident. There are more such communities who are doing the same. Although the police must play their part, they cannot be the only one.
“Perpetrators of such serious crimes are known to the communities… therefore communities play an important role in making sure that we eradicate these elements,” said Kodwa.
Speaking at the funeral was the family’s spiritual adviser, Themba Seya, who said South Africans must stop talking about ending gender-based violence and take action.
“It is time for us to stand up, and move out of the churches and march and let this country come to a standstill because we cannot afford this.
“Our kids are being tortured and they are dying and we keep on having talk shows. We cannot afford this, till when must we do this,” said an emotional Seya.
NOW READ: ‘Let me do to him what he did to my daughter’, says grieving father of Bokgabo Poo
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
