111128-Cape Town-Murder Accused Abongile Fempulana,being taken back to jail after appearing in court in Grabouw.He Faces charges of house breaking,murder and attemted murder after he allegedly raped and beat two sisters aged 12 and nine with a hammer,the nine year old survived.pic Brandon van der mescht.reporter Lauren Isaacs 111128-Cape Town-Murder Accused Abongile Fempulana,being taken back to jail after appearing in court in Grabouw.He Faces charges of house breaking,murder and attemted murder after he allegedly raped and beat two sisters aged 12 and nine with a hammer,the nine year old survived.pic Brandon van der mescht.reporter Lauren Isaacs
The man accused of murdering an eight-year-old girl and attempting to murder her 12-year-old sister made a brief appearance in the Grabouw Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Abongile Fempulana, 19, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and housebreaking after he allegedly raped, stabbed and beat the girls with a hammer.
His case was postponed to February 16 for the court to receive a forensic report to complete investigations.
It will then be referred to the Western Cape High Court, but in the meantime Fempulana will remain in custody at Caledon prison.
Fempulana’s attorney, Andalé Benjamin, asked that the accused be held in a single cell for his own safety.
In the courtroom, the distraught mother of the girls stared at the floor, tears streaming down her face. (The mother may not be named to protect the surviving girl’s identity.)
The mother said even though it was more than two months since the attack, she could not explain what she felt.
“I am very hurt. Losing a child is painful, I still feel so bad,” she said.
Her husband said: “We are so hurt. My daughters and my wife are not doing well. They need to receive medical treatment. My wife has already been to the doctor, she just got tablets for pain.”
Outside the court, about 50 protesters had gathered carrying placards that read: “Enough is Enough”, “I lose my child, you lose your manhood”, and “Tronkstraf is nie goed genoeg nie” (A prison sentence is not enough).
Leader of the ANC Women’s League in the province, Elizabeth Metile, explained to a large group of angry protesters and Grabouw residents events that had taken place in the courtroom.
“When these things happen in a community, the whole community must stand together. We must show our support. Especially now during the 16 Days of Activism we need to spread the message and make men know that what happened to these girls is unacceptable.
“If men want to rape and murder, their manhood must be taken away.
“They must be castrated. They are no longer worthy of being men,” said Metile.
The sisters were left at their home in Grabouw on September 17 by their 28-year-old sister.
The older sister was visiting friends in the neighbourhood at the time. According to neighbours, she checked on her two younger sisters later that night and found the eight-year-old sister had been stabbed to death and the 12-year-old severely injured.
The day after the brutal attack, police had to prevent angry residents from burning down Fempulana’s house.
At the time, Busiswa Sopazi said: “We are fearing for our children’s lives and out of fear, we will do anything to get rid of perpetrators.” - Cape Times
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