The murder of 19-year-old Lekita Moore has hit her family and the community of Valhalla Park hard.
Now her father, Charl Moore, has come forward to beg for help for his wife Shireen and eldest daughter, Maurecia, “who has gone mad with grief”.
In an open-hearted interview with Daily Voice, Charl admits his wife is a drug addict.
“My wife is on tik to cope (with the murder) and she goes off and goes to the place where Lekita’s body was found and she cries and she screams her name,” the dad says.
“She and my daughter cannot deal with the pain of Lekita’s loss. She, my youngest, kept us all together, she kept us strong, it feels like part of me has been ripped out, and my family is just falling apart.”
Charl, who works as a confectioner, says he is too afraid to come home at night because his wife “beats him up” as she tries to deal with her anger and grief.
“I don’t want to go home anymore. I am afraid for myself and for them. I can’t help them on my own,” says Charl.
GRIEF: Mom at lies where Lekita's mutilated body was discovered.
Every day, Shireen walks to the field where her daughter’s body was found in Tuna Road, and wraps herself in Lekita’s favourite purple blanket as she lies flat on the ground.
A family friends says the mom cries and screams for Lekita, who never arrives.
“I have never seen such grieving, it’s as if she was buried with Lekita, haar siel is weg,” says the friend.
Shireen was not able to speak yesterday.
Lekita’s body was found two months ago on a field next to the informal settlement known as 8ste Laan.
Residents in the area claim four people killed her, but only one person, Cameron Wilson, 19, from Heinz Park, was arrested.
The Daily Voice approached Sihle Ngobese, the spokesperson for Social Development MEC, Albert Fritz, who offered help.
“A social worker from the department’s Metro North office will be dispatched to assess the family, and determine the necessary interventions required,” says Sihle.
Upon hearing this, Charl said: “My baby, she still watches over us, with God. Ek is dankbaar, baie dankie Daily Voic e.”