Tears flowed in the Western Cape High Court on Monday as the father of slain toddler Orderick Lucas spoke of the day they discovered the little boy was missing.
Speaking through a French translator, dad Kounkou “Safran” Dziendelet, cried on the witness stand as he told the court of his devastation when Orderick’s brothers told him they could not find him.
The Congolese man, who has fathered four children with his girlfriend Davedine Lucas, including Orderick, twin boys and a five-month-old girl, backed the mother’s testimony that her friend Melvin Volkwyn was the last person to care for Orderick before he was found dead.
The body of the one-year-old was found dumped in a drain in Kleinvlei a week after he disappeared in March 2019.
In her testimony, Davedine admitted she and Volkwyn smoked tik and mandrax together.
Safran explained that he worked most of the week and only had Mondays off.
He said on the weekend that Orderick went missing, the tot and his older brothers, Tyrique and Tyrone, were brought to their parents’ home despite a court order instructing their ouma, Cornelia Scheepers, to care for them.
The children were removed from their care after Davedine allegedly broke Orderick’s arm.
“On that weekend, she (Cornelia) said she was having a party and didn’t want children around her,” he testified.
“The social workers said she would be paid, but there was a delay and she was stressed, so every Sunday I had to take R450 to her.”
He says on Sunday, 24 March, he went to Cornelia and she told him she wanted the kids to come to her home and celebrate her birthday.
He returned with Davedine and the three children, but after an argument Davedine left with Orderick.
On his way home with the twins, he says they witnessed a mob attack on Davedine, who was accused of stealing a cellphone, but she broke free and ran away.
At home, he left the door unlocked but she did not return that night.
He says the next morning she arrived and said she was going to the hospital.
He says later that morning, Volkwyn came to his home looking for Davedine.
“I asked him where is Orderick, and he said by his house and then he left,” Safras stated, as Volkwyn shook his head in disagreement.
The father said he was not worried about Orderick as he believed Volkwyn would bring him home, but was later told by Davedine that Orderick was taken to Cornelia’s house.
Volkwyn has denied this, saying he gave the child to Davedine.
Safran said three days later, he was scheduled to meet Davedine at her mother’s house and broke down as he testified how the twins came running to him saying: “Daddy, daddy we can’t find Orderick. He is missing.”
He says at the cop shop, he tried to question Volkwyn but the accused did not respond and only cried.
The emotional father said he has not been well since the incident: “From the first day he went missing to now, I am not well. He is my son, my blood.”
The trial continues.