A second witness in the murder trial of Orderick Lucas has come forward to say she saw the tot alive with his mom when he was believed to have disappeared.
Resident Betty Cloete, 57, claims the police failed to contact her, despite leaving her contact number at Kleinvlei SAPS to tell cops what she had witnessed.
Orderick was last seen on 24 March 2019, but it was only four days later that his mother, Davedine, said she discovered he was missing.
On 2 April 2019, his tiny body was discovered in a drain a street away from his ouma’s home and Melvin Volkwyn was charged with his murder following claims by Davedine that he was the last person to care for her son.
A day after her eldest daughter, Locrisia Goliath, took the stand at the Western Cape High Court, Betty says she, too, saw Davedine at the shop on 25 March.
“It was before 10pm, she was at the tuckshop. She was there with Orderick,” she testified.
“He was on her back with a blanket. Davedine wanted to buy a kimbie.
“She didn’t have enough money because she also wanted a cigarette, so I told the Somali [shopkeeper] to put it on my credit.”
Betty said several days later word spread about Orderick’s disappearance and she noticed police conducting a search.
She said she asked a female captain to search in an area covered with reeds.
“I told them to go there because every day Davedine would go there to katvang. She went there to prostitute. They searched in front, but didn’t go inside the reeds.”
She said because the area around Volkwyn’s salon was cordoned off, she tried to speak to officers, but local Bambanani volunteers argued and threatened to moer her so she walked away.
Betty said after Orderick was found, she went to the cop shop several times looking for the detective, but was told he was not stationed there and she left her contact details.
She said she spoke out after two years when defence attorney Susan Kuun visited the area earlier this year.
“The reason I came (to court) is for Orderick and I am doing it for justice.”
However, state prosecutor Mornay Julius labelled Betty a liar as he presented evidence that the investigating officer had obtained statements from witnesses living close to Betty.
But she argued she did not see the detective in her area and he never approached her.
“I’m telling the truth and I have no reason to lie,” she insisted.