Mother of slain teen Hashiem Solomon expresses forgiveness as killers get life

THE family of slain Hashiem Solomon have expressed relief following life sentences handed down to his killers following a bloody shooting in Paarl East nearly seven years ago.

​Hashiem was just 15 years old when he was shot and killed on the scene. Six of his friends were injured in the December 6, 2019 incident at Springbok Flats in Chicago, Paarl East.

​Four suspects belonging to the Skombizos 27s gang were sentenced to life imprisonment on May 7 for the teen’s death. 

​Hashiem’s mother, Shehema, spoke about the heartache and agony of losing her youngest child.

​She said she is relieved that all the accused, who took her boy away, have been punished.

​Solomon said: “It was a relief hearing that they were sentenced, but their parents can still visit them in custody, while I’ll have to go to a graveyard to see my son.    

​“My son was shot six times: through his head, heart, lungs, neck, and behind in his back. 

​“But if I had to face them, I’d tell them I forgive them. But if they were not guilty, then they wouldn’t have been sentenced. 

​“And my son’s case was the cherry on the top because they have been involved in many other shootings; it was just the first time they were all caught.”  

​At the time of his passing, Hashiem and his friends were in a yard of the Flats, enjoying the end of the school year.

His mom added: “He told me he wanted to be a policeman and that he was going to work for me. He was a loving child, if people sent him to the shops then he’d go for them, he always greeted.

“And after school, when he was finished with his lunch, he would get done for madrassah."

Hashiem's sister, Lameez, said: “We are very relieved because we can find peace as this case took six years to finish and my brother’s murderers are punished.

“The sentence might not bring Hashiem back, we still miss him, we still pray for him every night.

“At first when the news broke out that something like this could happen in our town, people didn’t think they would be punished and now they got life.”