Family, friends and the community of Soweto said their final goodbyes to four-year-old Keeya Mbulawa who was allegedly kidnapped and died from injuries sustained after being suffocated inside a suitcase.
The funeral service was held on Thursday last week at the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church in Naledi.
Mbulawa died on Wednesday, January 17 after spending four days in intensive care unit (ICU) where she was fighting for her life.
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This occurred after Mbulawa was allegedly abducted by a woman who resided in the same yard as Keeya’s mother, Nolukhanyo Mbulawa.
The abductor strangled Keeya with a cable, stashed a sock into her mouth and locked her inside a travelling suitcase.
At the funeral, young Keeya was described as an intelligent, bubbly and very loving child who encouraged her peers to be loving and cheerful.
An emotional letter written by Keeya’s mother was read out during the funeral service.
“You were the most beautiful and lovely daughter my angel.
“I don’t know how to say goodbye to you, but my comfort is that you are at peace now and I’m grateful to god for blessing me with such a wonderful gift that you were to me.
“Rest well my love, rest well my angel, I love you,” wrote Keeya’s mom in the letter.
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One of the speakers at the funeral, Revered Frank Chikane urged families and young mothers to be vigilant against helpers and neighbours who target young children for their nefarious acts.
“We are angry about this but we have to solve it, it’s no use getting angry and not doing anything.
“I am expecting that the police will find the woman as well as the syndicate because it is quite clear she is not doing it alone and I’m sure they either kill kids, steal them and even traffic them, that why we are praying that she must be found,” said Revered Chikane.
Addressing the media, family spokesman, Advocate Miller Moela pleaded with the community not take the law into their own hands.
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“We actually want to emphasise that we do not encourage the community to take the law into their own hands. Whoever has information must provide it to the police and we have confidence that the police when given space to operate they will be able to apprehend the suspect and Keeya will by that way get justice,” said Moela.
Keeya Mbulawa was laid to rest at Nasrec Cemetery.
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