The man accused of raping and killing six-year-old Delvina Europa from Elim is applying for bail.
Reagan Zietsman, 35, made a brief appearance at the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 48 hours after he was taken in for questioning by police.
Zietsman was dressed in a grey top and jeans and made eye contact with mense in the courtroom.
He was charged with the rape and murder of Delvina and indicated he would be applying for bail.
The matter was postponed to April 8 for officials to verify his bail information and to see if he has any previous offences or convictions.
Zietsman lives one street away from Delvina’s family home in Elim.
A spokesperson said yesterday Delvina’s family was traumatised and not ready to speak to the media.
They would also not divulge how the child was killed, saying they would wait until the post-mortem was completed.
A resident of Bredasdorp, who asked not to be named and who was at court, says a handful of people attended the matter.
She said Zietsman looked around the court boldly.
AUNT: Carol October
“He turned around twice to look at me. I will always remember how his eyes looked.”
Delvina was placed in the care of her maternal aunt, Carol October, in December 2018, after her mother died suddenly.
The child is expected to be buried on 6 April. Residents have remained tight-lipped about the accused.
A close family friend of Delvina’s says mense in the tiny Overberg town are shocked: “We are a close-knit community and we are broken by this.
“Hy is ’* boorling van Elim (he was born and bred in Elim),” she said referring to the suspect.
Delvina, who was in Grade 1 at Elim Moravian Primary School, was last seen by Carol on Sunday at 4pm playing in front of a home in Nuwestraat.
She was seen going into bushes with a man known to her and reported missing on Monday.
Police and residents launched a search.
Early on Tuesday, her body was found in bushes close to her home.