The traumatised family of Tazne van Wyk is considering suing the state after their daughter’s alleged killer was out on parole at the time of her murder.
In an interview with the Daily Voice, mom Carmen and dad Terence Manuel said they were disappointed in the way the case was handled.
The were at court on Monday to hear that the trial of Moehydien Pangaker was moved to next year.
Pangaker, 56, returned to the Western Cape High Court yesterday as the murder trial was expected to get under way, but the matter was postponed to 16 May 2022 as this was the only available court date due to the backlog created during the lockdown.
Wearing a grey hoodie and black face mask, Pangaker hid his face from TV cameras in the courtroom.
Several newspaper journalists were removed by police officers, claiming the judge had ordered that only TV crews be present during proceedings.
No reason was given for this instruction.
The Grade 3 pupil from Eurecon Primary School went missing on 7 February 2020 when she was snatched just metres from her home in Clare Street, Ravensmead.
Hundreds of mense helped search for the girl and police launched a manhunt for Pangaker after a neighbour revealed that he had disappeared at the same time.
He was later arrested in Cradock in the Eastern Cape and while escorted back to Cape Town, he told cops where to find Tazne’s body.
Her body was found dumped in a storm water drain in Worcester and it was later revealed that her hand was sawed off.
Pangaker faces 20 charges which include rape, murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice dating back to 2016.
Dad Terence, 32, was visibly upset yesterday and told the Daily Voice that he believed President Cyril Ramaphosa had failed to provide support for the family who were left skarreling for taxi money to attend court.
“We arrived at court today and thought our questions would be answered, but unfortunately that did not happen,” he said.
“Here the case gets postponed again for a year and we already have to sukkel to get to court. It cost us R170 (to get here).
“The president promised us in front of hundreds of thousands of people that they will assist us and the ministers will assist us, but the day he was gone, they were also gone.
“He failed us man, he doesn’t even care anymore.
“There was even a message that we could sue the government but I thought that was not necessary but what I am seeing I think we must do it.”
Carmen, 29, described the court proceedings as a “circus” adding that it seems the public and the media forgot that she had lost a child and was still grieving.
“Up until today we don’t know what led to this (why she was killed). He appeared and can’t even look us in the face,” she said.