Moyahabo Mabeba
The discovery of the decomposing bodies of two young sisters has further highlighted the child murder crisis in Limpopo.
The hardest-hit regions are Sekhukhune and Capricorn.
Since the beginning of September, 12 children have been killed in the province, all of them allegedly by people they know.
The bodies of the Raphasha siblings, Kamogelo, seven, and her younger sister Tshegofatso aged five were found on a stretch of grazing land in Ga-Mashalane Village in the Senwabarwana area. A passerby spotted their bodies lying next to each other and alerted community members.
The two children have been missing since 23 August after they were last seen with their mentally ill aunt.
The Raphasha tragedy comes shortly after three young girls were found floating in a nearby river in Phooko village near Dennilton.
The Mgomane siblings Nonjabulo, nine, and her younger brother Themba, eight, were murdered together with 15-year-old Katlego Sibande.
The suspect is allegedly Katlego’s boyfriend.
Still in Sekhukhune, the Tjebabi family continues to mourn the gruesome murder of Bokamoso who was allegedly raped and murdered by a neighbour.
Sharon Modiba, a social worker from Child Welfare South Africa said they don’t have the exact statistics, but child killings are a massive problem in the country.
“We advise parents and caregivers to do their best to protect their children by knowing where they are playing and who they are playing with,” she said.
“Community leaders need to identify dangerous places and hotspots and try to create a safe environment for children.”
Nkakareng Rakgoale, the MEC of Social Development said she is concerned about widespread incidents in which children are abused and eventually murdered.
Rakgoale said: “Social workers are often sent to families affected by these tragic events to provide psychological support. We hope police investigations will shed some light and for justice to take its course.”
Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, the MEC for Community Safety said she is disturbed by reports of children whose disappearance and deaths have caused so much pain.
“The police will not rest until the truth is uncovered. We have a responsibility to ensure that our people are safe,” she said.
