'We are still suffering today'

TAZNE van Wyk’s parents say the whole criminal justice system has failed them after learning of the death of her murderer in the media.

Their world came crashing down when the eight-year-old girl was snatched from her Connaught Estate on 7 February 2020. 

Her body was found later pointed out by the man who was convicted of her rape, murder and cutting of her hand - Moyhdian Pangaeker, who died in his sleep on Tuesday while serving nine concurrent life sentences in Brandvlei Maximum Centre after his conviction in 2023.  

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed the death of Moyhdian Pangaeker in a statement shared with the media.

Her parents confirmed they had not been informed about his passing but heard the news for the first time from the Cape Argus on Tuesday.

Tazne’s father Terence Manuel told the Cape Argus: “After the court case, we did not hear about the case again. 

“What about Tazne? Did her life not mean something now that he is gone?

“We are still suffering today. I did not get counselling; my family is affected by this case financially and emotionally, and we have been unable to rebuild our lives. 

“Everyone made promises; there were all of these spokespersons and politicians. 

“What about us making a case against the state? We never said we wanted to leave it.”

They said that despite his death, his actions destroyed their lives due to the negligence of the state after he was released on parole and that justice would now never be served for their daughter.

Pangaeker was sentenced to 10 years in 2008 for kidnapping, child molestation, and culpable homicide. 

He received parole in April 2013 but absconded in November 2013, leading to his re-arrest in August 2015 for unrelated offences. 

Paroled a second time in October 2016, he absconded again in February 2019. Despite a case being opened, he was not immediately arrested.

While on parole between 2016 and 2019, he committed numerous sexual assaults, including raping his own daughter. He murdered Tazne in February 2020 while still an absconder from parole supervision and her body was discovered in a storm water drain along the N1 near Worcester.