Murder accused Mohydian Pangaker stunned the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, claiming that Tazne van Wyk was killed by four kidnappers who forced them into a bakkie.
The man accused of murdering the eight-year-old girl from Ravensmead gave an elaborate explanation claiming he and Tazne were kidnapped by drug-smoking foreigners.
In his testimony on what happened on 7 February 2020, Pangaker denied raping or killing her, claiming he saw her at a huiswinkel in Ravensmead where he gave her a Stoney.
He claims she called him “Uncle Mohydian” and asked to go with him and followed him as he took a taxi to mosque.
According to him, there were three men and one woman in the Quantum van that drove to the Malawi Camp to fetch drugs.
He says he got a skrik when the driver took the N1 highway.
Pangaker says the woman acted as the intermediary as the driver spoke “Bongo Taal”.
“Ek was geworried because I was thinking what is their mindset. She told me they were going to drop me off in Paarl but I said I don’t know anyone there,” he told the court.
He says he and Tazne were thrown out near Worcester and that is when they were taken to a nearby filling station in a white BMW.
He says after he could not get a lift back to Cape Town, he walked with Tazne to a nearby bridge where they saw a fire burning.
He then claims that the four kidnappers returned in a bakkie and took them to a river where Tazne was grabbed, and that he was “defenceless” to help her as the kidnappers had tied him up.
“I heard Tazne screaming and the one came back with blood on his hands. Then I saw Tazne being carried and I saw her head hanging,” he said while tearing up in the dock.
They drove and later two of the kidnappers took her body from the bakkie. He says an hour later they returned without the girl.
Pangaker claims he was thrown out near Bloemfontein.