The brother-in-law of alleged child killer, Moehydien Pangaker, says a suspected vigilante tried to burn him alive.
Stanley Adams, who gave Pangaker, 54, a place to sleep prior to Tazne van Wyk’s disappearance, says he was forced to fight off his attacker who doused him with petrol and nearly torched him on Sunday.
The 67-year-old oupa who lives in the same road as the family of eight-year-old Tazne, says despite being the first person to piemp Pangaker as the kidnapper, he has received death threats.
The sickly man explains a week before the child’s disappearance, Pangaker arrived at his home looking for slaapplek.
“He is my dead wife’s brother and he just came here out of nowhere,” says Adams.
“We are not even close but he asked for a place to sleep for a few days and slept on the couch.
“On the day that girl went missing, I noticed he was also gone and that is when I saw one of his suitcases was missing, so I told the police.”
Adams says since Tazne’s death was confirmed last Thursday, the family has been hounded by angry residents who have
threatened to kill anyone related to Pangaker.
FEARS FOR HIS LIFE: Stanley Adams holding bottle of petrol. Picture: Supplied
“On Sunday before 8pm, I was watching TV and I heard my gate open,” he explains.
“I went to look and there was a man throwing petrol against the door.
“I opened the top part and he threw the petrol all over me.
“I slammed the door but he kicked the bottom part open and broke the door.
“He was about to light the petrol but I screamed and the family came downstairs.”
Relatives rushed to help the oupa as the attacker ran away.
His 32-year-old daughter says they have been left traumatised and fear every day will be their last.
“We told the police everything we know,” says the woman who asked not to be named.
“We gave them the suitcase and the phone number he was phoning from.
“We even lied to him every time he called and we told him we believe him just so that he doesn’t put his phone off.
“We know the police found him by tracking his phone but still the people want to kill us.
“Moehydien is going to murder us also when he finds out we were lying to him. But we just wanted that child to be found safe,” she says.
The arson attack has been reported to Ravensmead police who confirmed they are now investigating an attempted murder case.
On Tuesday, they collected the bottle of petrol and Adams’ petrol-soaked clothes.
DOUSED: Stanley ’s petrol-soaked clothing. Picture: Monique Duval
Adams adds: “I feel bad for [Tazne’s mother] Carmen and the family of that child but we did not hide anything and every time the police came to search, we let them.
“Every day we are living in fear and we have been warned that the people are not done with us.”
KILLED: Tazne van Wyk, 8
Meanwhile, the Western Cape government says it’s asking the authorities how Pangaker could be released on parole when he had a string of convictions and had contravened his parole conditions before.
Community safety MEC, Albert Fritz, says: “If it is true that this suspect, who had previously been convicted and released 11 times, was able to get parole and commit this violent crime, then our criminal justice system has failed our residents.”
Pangaker was previously convicted of the possession of a stolen vehicle, assault, murder, theft and housebreaking.
In 2008, he was sentenced for kidnapping, child abuse and culpable homicide after beating to death his own son and received a 10-year sentence for the crime.
Pangaker has been remanded in custody and is expected back at Goodwood Magistrates’ court on 17 April.