The family of a 10-year-old meisie who died after being gunned down in the street were left
fuming on Wednesday as they missed the first court appearance of a man charged with her murder.
Heartbroken relatives of Ayesha Kelly returned home feeling hopeless after being kept outside the courtroom while the 26-year-old man appeared via Audio Visual Remand (AVR) from Pollsmoor Prison.
The Mitchells Plain court was told that the suspect’s identity must be protected as an identity parade still needs to be held.
The Grade 4 girl died on
Sunday night after being caught in the crossfire of rival gangs while walking to the shop and died just metres away from her Tafelsig home.
Police arrested two suspects soon after, but a 21-year-old man was released.
SHOT DEAD: Ayesha Kelly, 10
Ouma Fayrooz, 48, says disrespectful skollies continued to open fire on each other even during the child’s janaazah.
“We had to let the people view [the body] inside the house and the shootings just went on,” she says.
“As the body was being
carried to the masjid, they were still shooting.
“The police told us because of the identity parade we cannot say (the suspect’s) name, but I stand by my thing that he is the shooter.”
On Wednesday Ayesha’s emotional mother, Inshaaf Kelly, 27, and Fayrooz were among the people who were not allowed inside the courtroom, sparking an outcry from residents who
protested outside court.
The matter was postponed to January 23 for the identity parade to take place.
Inshaaf told the Daily Voice she knows the suspect because they were friends.
“I know him as a person from the community and I feel he could have shot at a different angle, but he shot on my child. I am heartbroken because I raised her alone and she was an active child who I could share things with,” she says.
JUSTICE: Residents protest outside Mitchells Plain court
On Wednesday national police minister Bheki Cele visited the family at home to pay his respects.
Ayesha’s grieving father, Chad Arendse, 26, called on the minister to stick to his promises to keep child killers in the mang.
“The last time you were in town, this thing of you went viral, the words you were saying about people who kill children are going to sit for life.
“Please boss, let them sit there, that was your words.”
Cele assured the family that police were prioritising the case, adding: “Arresting them is fine but that is not going to bring the child back.
“There is an issue that we need to work hard at to make sure our children are