Cape Town - A 32-year-old Site C man has been arrested in connection with the murder and rape of 13-year-old Thimna Kuze, who was killed while on a sleepover at her friend’s home last month.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said that the man was, for now, charged with sexual assault under the Child Care Act.
This happened as Police Minister Bheki Cele visited communities and families that were left reeling from crime incidents in the area, including that involving Thimna.
The grieving family relayed the events of March 25 to Cele, telling him how Thimna was picked up by her friends at night and her lifeless body was discovered the following day in Taiwan informal settlement.
The family expressed their dissatisfaction to Cele regarding what it said was flimsy work performed by the police, who responded to the scene and failed to arrest the alleged perpetrator on the day.
The family told Cele that the police failed to take the alleged perpetrator in for questioning, but instead whisked him away from the community.
Thimna’s father, Malidume Soxokashe, said the fact that the perpetrator had confessed to purchasing and forcing the youngsters to drink alcohol and smoke hubbly-bubbly was grounds enough to effect an arrest.
He said instead the police wasted taxpayers' money and resources as the perpetrator was arrested almost three weeks after the incident.
“The cause of death at that time was not known, but the fact is that he confessed, and for that they should have arrested him,” Soxhokashe said.
Cele said the issues raised by the family were part of the detective’s investigations. Cele said the police would look at the issue to determine if the police who responded to the scene had followed proper procedure and that the provincial police management would take action.