'I can't believe my angel touched the world'
Graeme Hosken
March 09 2007 at 04:41AM

More than 15 000 people across the world came together on Thursday night in various countries to join in the lighting of candles in remembrance of seven-year-old Sheldean Human.

Locally, in a moving candlelight vigil on Thursday night, more than 6 000 people descended on a tiny park in the Pretoria West area.

Universally the message was: No more crime!

According to city officials, Claremont Square has never been so crowded before.

'We are sick and tired of the rapes, murders and assaults'
Thousands of crying people - some hugging children in blankets, or carrying them on their backs and in their arms - observed a minute's silence before lighting their candles.

Tiny tea light candles in the centre of the park spelled out Sheldean's name with a giant poster of her, surrounded by tall red candles, with a message reading: "We'll miss you, we'll never forget you, you are in our thoughts and dreams". Hundreds of white, blue and pink balloons with Sheldean's picture attached were released into the night sky.

The candlelight vigil, organised by anti-child crime non-profit organisation, the Pink Ladies, saw people from throughout South Africa descending on the city by plane, car and bus.

Scores of people the Pretoria News spoke to said they had come together to make one voice heard. This voice, they said, was the voice of South Africans tired of crime.

Among those in the crowd was Mrs Africa 2006 Gillian Elson. She called on all South Africans - young and old, men and women - to unite against crime and to make their voices heard.

'I cannot believe the number of people my little angel has touched'
"We are sick and tired of the rapes, murders and assaults. The time is now for us to stand together and say 'no more'. We will no longer allow South Africa's future to bleed. We as South Africans must stand up and say 'enough is enough'," she said, to a standing ovation.

The night vigil organiser, Pink Ladies member Sandy van der Graaf, said: "Tonight is the night we want to tell the world how a small little girl in her death has touched us.

"Our message has been picked up in Poland, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Botswana, Namibia, France and Canada, where people are joining us in our campaign to stop crimes against children across South Africa and throughout the world."

She said thousands of people in those countries had contacted them to tell them that they would be lighting candles in schools and parks in remembrance of Sheldean and other "missing" children.

Van der Graaf said: "Sheldean has left us and we must accept this. While she was small in life, she is a giant in death and has united the world as well as South Africa. We will use this campaign to help fight and protect the children of this country and others."

Sheldean's mother, Elize Human, wearing a pink T-shirt with a picture of Sheldean on it, said she had been left almost speechless by the turnout on Thursday night.

"I cannot believe the number of people my little angel has touched.

"What I and South Africa are going through is unbelievable. I did not know that so many people cared for me and my little baby. I will never forget this; it means the world to me.

"Our family will always be eternally grateful for the support that we have received from the police, the private investigators and all South Africans," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Oeloff Botha said he was there as both a parent and a South African tired of crime.

Christo du Plessis, holding his two-year-old daughter tightly in his arms, said he was there because he did not want what happened to Sheldean to happen to his little Sonja.

"I do not want to go through the same pain and trauma. I want my voice to be heard in the fight against crime," he said.

Another woman, Kotie Heck, who also lost her child, said she knew exactly what pain Sheldean's mother was going through.

"I want her to know that as a mother I am here to support her. I am here as a shoulder to cry on. I want her to know that she is not alone," she said.

Joe du Plessis said he, like everyone else in South Africa, was concerned about the rampant crime scourge against children.

"If we do not do something about crime against our children now, this country will be without a future. We have to stop this country from bleeding.

"We have to stand up and say enough is enough. I am one of those who are standing up and saying 'no longer will we allow our future to be murdered and raped'," he said.

Christo Schürmann, who was with friends and family, said they were there because all South Africans needed to "stand together to voice our disgust about crime - we need to stop crime, especially against children".

Melessa Labuschagne, who was with her seven-month-old son Arno and friend Rikie Dikshoorn, said they were taking part in the vigil in support of the fight against crime and to support Sheldean's family.

o This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on March 09, 2007

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20070309033549204C889477

Sheldean's parents anxious ahead of memorial
Graeme Hosken
March 13 2007 at 04:35AM

Thousands of people are expected to descend on a park in Pretoria Gardens on Tuesday as the city prepares to bid its final farewell to Sheldean Human.

Seven-year-old Sheldean, whose murder gripped the nation and reverberated beyond the borders of South Africa, will have a public memorial service at her favourite playtime park, Cronje Park, and will then be laid to rest at a private family burial at Zandfontein Cemetery.

Cronje Park, on the corner of Schurmann and Gustav Adolf streets just a few hundred metres from Sheldean's home, is expected to be filled to capacity. As many as 8 000 people are expected to attend to say their goodbyes.

Sheldean was found murdered in a stormwater service drain behind the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market last Monday, 15 days after she disappeared while playing in the front garden of her Pretoria Garden's Ernest Street commune where she and her mother lived.

'The choir will be paying tribute to her'
Her murder shocked the nation with thousands of people turning out for a candlelight vigil and the court appearance of her alleged killer, Andrew Jordaan, 25, last week.

Among those attending Tuesday's memorial service will be 400 of her fellow Laerskool Tuinrand pupils who will be part of the 1 500 schoolchildren representing the youth from across Pretoria.

Also in attendance will be members of the Pink Ladies, an anti-crime initiative formed under the auspices of the anti-crime organisation eBlockwatch, as well as representatives from President Thabo Mbeki's office and the Gauteng legislature, and several well-known musicians and sporting heroes.

Mbangiseni Dzivhani, chief director of the Office for the Rights of Child, a programme run under the president's office, will be representing Mbeki. Gauteng safety and security MEC Firoz Cachalia and Tshwane executive mayor Dr Gwen Ramokgopa are also expected to attend the memorial.

The BBC, along with several other international media organisations, is expected to cover the event which has triggered a worldwide response against crimes against children in South Africa.

'I do not know how I am going to cope'
Police confirmed to the Pretoria News this week that more than 1 500 children disappear every day in South Africa.

Pretoria News is sponsoring soft drinks and water as refreshments at the memorial service.

The Sheldean Human Trust, which is administered by her school, will pay for both the memorial service and the funeral.

Community spokesperson Philip van Staden said they were expecting at least 8 000 people to attend the memorial service, making it one of the capital's biggest memorials ever.

"I do not know of any other memorial service which has ever been this big in Pretoria.

"It is a testament to the number of people Sheldean's life and death has touched in South Africa and throughout the world," he said.

Pink Ladies member Sandy van der Graaf said that seven of their members would be at the memorial dressed in black.

"Because of the solemn occasion we will not be wearing our usual pink T-shirts out of respect not only to Sheldean and her family, but to all the other children in South Africa who are murdered every year," she said.

Van der Graaf said they hoped that the huge turnout would help stem the tide of crime against South Africa's children.

They also hoped it would show that every South African, man and woman needed to take up the task of stopping children from falling victim to abusers and murderers.

Sheldean's principal ,Pikkie van Amstel, said that among the 1 500 children attending the memorial 400 would be Sheldean's fellow school pupils.

"They will all be wearing their uniforms out of respect for Sheldean.

"The choir will be paying tribute to her by singing one of her favourite hymns," he said.

Sheldean's father Wikus Human, who confirmed the private burial at Zandfontein Cemetery, said that he was petrified of both the funeral and memorial service.

"I do not know how I am going to cope. I am really afraid.

"A parent is not meant to bury their child and I do not know if I can go through with it," he said, adding that he was praying for strength.

Elize Human, Sheldean's mother, said she was also afraid.

"I am really scared. I do not know what I am going to do. I do not know how I am going to get through this," she said.

Pastor Andries Nel, urging people to respect the family's wishes for a private burial, said the family appreciated the huge expected turnout and all the support from the public during this difficult time.

"It means a great deal for them and they want everyone to know how much easier all the prayers and well-wishers have made this time for them," he said.

Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Superintendent Alta Fourie said that there would be a heavy police presence at the memorial.

"Not only will we be assisting with the large amount of traffic through the area, but we will also be escorting the family to and from the service," she said.

She appealed to people to obey the rules of the road and not to cause any blockages.

"This is a very sad occasion and we do not need any unfortunate incidents," she said.

o This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on March 13, 2007

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070313003138956C461401

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Call for sexual predators list

August 18 2007 at 04:10PM

By Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat and Kashiefa Ajam

The brutal murder of six-year-old Steven Siebert at the hands of convicted paedophile and child-killer Theunis Christian Olivier has elicited an outcry for a national register of paedophiles - but not everyone agrees that a register would work in South Africa, where there is, at best, a seven percent conviction rate.

Joan van Niekerk, national co-ordinator of Childline, believes that "no register will protect children". It could, in fact, contribute to the problem of child protection.

However, Dr Thinus Coetzee, a counsellor and operation head for an anti-child crimes group called the Pink Ladies, argues that a national register for paedophiles would work.

'No register will protect children'
Referring to the Olivier case, he said: "If there was a register in place we might have known that the person was a potential predator. How many cases are still pending against this particular predator? Yet nobody paid attention and the ultimate result was the end of a beautiful little life."

Lillian Artz, director of the University of Cape Town's Gender, Health and Justice Unit, isn't convinced that establishing a national register is the way to go for South Africa. "It's a great way to identify and monitor paedophiles but I don't think the government has the capacity to pull it off," she said.

Apart from the reluctance of children and parents to report incidents, said Van Niekerk, another compelling reason why a register wouldn't work was the ease with which people were able to obtain new identities.

Olivier, who was found guilty of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and murdering Steven - who he had enticed away from his parents' holiday home in Plettenberg Bay in late December 2005 - told the police he had sexually molested more than 200 boys over a period 30 years.

Coetzee argues: "The expressed goal of having sex offender registers is to reduce recidivism and promote public safety. Such registers would increase community awareness, making sex offenders feel more susceptible to the risks associated with offending.

'It might give rise to vigilantism'
"For such a register to be effective it needs to be made public. In this way, a person with small children, in any given area, could be aware of a predator staying in the area.

Sure, it might give rise to vigilantism but we feel that this would never be the case if the predator didn't commit the crime in the first place.

"In our view, the memories of a jail sentence do not outweigh the lifelong scarred memories a victim has to suffer."

Van Niekerk stresses the importance and the role of the proposed Children's Act. This provides for "a list of persons unsuitable to work with children" under the national child protection register, but will not come into force until the Children's Amendment Bill is passed by parliament.

But more important than having this legislation, she said, was having an effective system of management. "We need the Child Protection Unit back, the police need to be properly trained, and people who work in these units need to have a passion for working with children."

The development of legislation for children, particularly in relation to justice issues, should be done in consultation with experts in the field of childcare. "The protection of children is different to that of adults," she noted.

Van Niekerk described the national child protection register as much better than the eagerly awaited Sexual Offences Bill, which provides for a national confidential register of known sexual offenders. The bill is currently before the National Council of Provinces.

"The Sexual Offences Bill refers only to sex offenders. The Children's Act will capture anybody who commits crimes against children and is far more comprehensive."

According to Lakela Kaunda, spokesperson for the department of social development, the Children's Act refers to all offences against children such as assault, molestation, indecent assault and any statutory sexual offence.

She highlights that part B of the Child Protection Register focuses on a list of persons unsuitable to work with children - defining these people as "persons that abuse a child, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically or by deliberate neglect".

This register would be kept and managed by the same department, said Kaunda, adding: "The list is a general one, not focusing on paedophiles per se but on crimes against children in general."

And according to the act, "Any court and accredited forum can find that a person is unsuitable to work with children, and will forward that ruling to the national department of social development", said Kaunda.

Those who automatically qualify to be included on the list are "any persons convicted of murder, attempted murder, rape, indecent assault or assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm".

However, said Kaunda, "The list will not be made available to the general public".

"The obligation lies with employers who work with children to screen employees against part B of the register."

A reliable source from the same department told the Saturday Star that those who will have access to this list will be all municipalities and health and education institutions.

"However, if you suspect that a paedophile is living next door to you, you will not be granted access to the list."

The source says there is now a sense of urgency in passing the bill, which would see the second section of the amended Children's Act approved.

"We are still waiting for the South African Police Service and the justice department to compile lists for us. All the provincial issues will be sorted out by the end of September. We are hoping to have a list by June next year."

One of the issues that had delayed the list's implementation was the constitutional question of whether offenders would have their rights violated.

But the source said: "We have consulted with many legal experts on this matter. If any of these people want to take us to court for violating their constitutional rights, they must just go ahead."

Justice and constitutional development ministry spokesperson Zolile Nqayi said the two registers (offender and protection) did not constitute a duplication as they were intended for different reasons.

"Yes, there are similarities, as both are intended to protect children and preclude a convicted person from working with children. However, there are major differences between the two registers.

"For example, the offender register provided for in the Sexual Offences Bill also protects mentally disabled people against sex offenders who have been convicted before or after the commencement of the act, while the information on the protection register is used to protect children in general against people convicted of abuse and neglect."

Van Niekerk believes that having two registers would take resources away from effective intervention such as providing for supervision and treatment of sexual offenders as well as providing treatment to the children.

"We are constantly told that we don't have the money. We need to look at what will work and can't work, and we must educate the public. Those people who work with children will have to be checked against two registers. In reality it will not help the children."

Last week it was reported that a lack of adequate government resources could result in a complete failure of the national sex offenders register despite the Sexual Offences Bill being close to promulgation.

Although the names of Olivier and a host of other paedophiles will appear on such a register once the bill is approved, experts warned that the state needed a "good circle of professionals" to monitor the list.

UCT's Artz added: "The child sex offenders' register can only be a value-adding mechanism if it is sustained and resourced correctly.

"It is a very complex matter and not just something you can start and add names to every time someone is convicted.

"If we look at the US, their paedophile register is working because they have a group of social workers, police, probation officers and law professionals employed to monitor it.

"I don't think it's going to be easy for our government to monitor all these things. It's not just about slapping a list together; it's about monitoring every individual person on that list."

Artz said the body commissioned to establish the register should also ensure that convicted paedophiles were kept away from children after serving jail sentences.

"Things often fall through the cracks," she noted.

Ten years ago the South African Law Commission initiated a project on sexual offences that would ultimately result in the Sexual Offences Bill.

In 2003 the bill went to parliament, where it sat for four years until finally being passed by the National Assembly this year.

It is currently before the National Council of Provinces, the final step before the bill becomes law. - Additional reporting by Clayton Barnes

o This article was originally published on page 6 of Pretoria News on August 18, 2007

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070818092921602C998951
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Racist mail angers parties
KIM HELFRICH

JOHANNESBURG – A racist e-mail apparently written by a Tshwane Municipal Court employee and distributed on the council's internal network, has angered main opposition parties.
It has also drawn response from The Pink Ladies, a concerned group of citizens who voluntarily search for missing children.

The e-mail alleges the large number of mourners present at Sheldean Human's funeral were only there because the abducted and murdered Pretoria West schoolgirl was white.

Both the DA and the FF Plus have reacted strongly, but the crunch comes from The Pink Ladies.
Spokesman ************** said there was “no room” for racism when it came to missing children.
“It is the responsibility of each and every South African to help in whatever way they can when a child, no matter from what race group, goes missing,” he said.

The Pink Ladies were “in no way” affiliated to any political party or grouping.

DA Chief Whip Natasha Michael has submitted an official complaint to the Human Rights Commission, and asked for an urgent investigation into the incident by mayor Gwen Ramokgopa.
Apart from casting aspersions on those who helped in the search for the young girl, and who showed sympathy by attending her funeral and memorial service, the e-mail calls for blacks to “stand together and fight the demons”.

It claims whites believe only blacks are criminals.

It also states “very stupid white people” hosted the rugby and cricket World Cups in South Africa.
FF Plus councillor Conrad Bey ers condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the racist e-mail, and called for an investigation. Michael said she was saddened by the e-mail.

Mayoral spokesman Tiny Mokwena had not by the time of going to Press responded to questions on what action, if any, would be taken against the e-mail's author and distributor.

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=36338,1,22
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Hundreds in Mikayla hunt
June 14 2007 at 12:35PM
By Murray Williams


The disappearance of little Mikayla Rossouw is gripping South Africa's third-oldest town, Swellendam, uniting its citizens in fury and grief.

The six-year-old remains missing after almost four days of the biggest search yet in the farming district.

On Monday, Tuesday and yesterday, search teams were at times 100-strong, combing the bushes between the suburb of Railton and the start of the farmlands.
'This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone... so we let the kids roam free'

With schools closed because of the public servants' strike, children have joined the search. At least once on Wednesday, they mistook a local resident for a suspect, prompting a police appeal against vigilante action that was based on "unfounded rumours".




At Mikayla's home, her mother Elsabe endured another day of torturous waiting on Wednesday as police investigate a case of kidnapping.

Her eyes told of the torture she had endured since Sunday afternoon, when Mikayla was last seen.

A neighbour said: "The waiting's killing her, but she knows that the news could be terrible. I don't know which is worse?"

After almost four days, anger is bubbling over in the community of Railton, a Swellendam suburb. This prompted the policeman heading the investigation, Nicky Alberts, to plead on Wednesday: "The community can help us by please not taking the law into their own hands."

Since Sunday night, Alberts's officers have thrown vast resources into trying to find or rescue Mikayla, and have been joined by the townsfolk from every level of society.

"We've had town councillors, neighbourhood watches, church leaders, the SAPS, community volunteers, teachers, Overberg (municipal) search and rescue, dog handlers and the Pink Ladies Organisation," reported Alberts.

Mikayla was last seen at 3.45pm on Sunday afternoon - but police were not called in until 8.40 that night.

"I dressed Mikayla and took her to Sunday school that morning, and then went to work," her mother explained. She works at a local backpackers' hostel.

"And when I came home at about 3pm she was still playing there."

The family lives in a small house with plenty of lawn for the children to play. Tiger, a menacing boerbul, looked on. Mikayla's mother described her as a shy girl who was never naughty and never strayed too far from home.

"She loved her friends and just liked playing in the yard," she said. Mikayla was the middle child between two brothers, Marshall, 10, and Henry, 2.

Even the elder boy appeared not to comprehend the gravity of Mikayla's disappearance and just smiled when asked about her - oblivious to his mother's desperation.

"Her teacher at Bontebok Primary is very proud of her. When it's time to go home after school she always says she wants to stay," Elsabe Rossouw said.

Since Monday, as possible leads have emerged, police teams have conducted door-to-door enquiries in Railton - questioning residents closely.

It was thought at first that Mikayla had been last seen not far from her home.

But reports then surfaced that she may have been a few streets away.

Alberts said a psychiatrist had been brought in to listen carefully to reports from small children in the area, after information surfaced about a man who may have led Mikayla away.

An identikit was compiled and distributed on Tuesday night.

Several people have since been questioned but released.

Alberts said he had even called for an aircraft to help in the search and he had scoured the area from above on Wednesday, but to no avail.

A traffic officer patrolling the N2, who did not wish to give his name, said: "This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone. No one steals. So we let the kids roam free. We don't worry."

Another said he had never heard of a child being kidnapped in almost 20 years of service in the area.

Swellendam mayor Jan Jansen told the Cape Argus on Thursday morning: "I spoke to the investigators last night (Wednesday) and the community continued to work with the police last night.

"The police are working day and night. Any evidence, any information, no matter how small, is being followed up.

"Nothing like this has happened in Swellendam.

"The people here have experienced murders and the like, but not a child disappearing," Alberts said.

There was widespread shock and dismay, but he had met residents and urged them "not to give up".

Anyone with information can contact the Swellendam police station at 028 514 1090.

o This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Argus on June 14, 2007


http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&set_id=1&art_id=vn20070614114325612C199347
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Rage, tears and a show of pink
11 March 2007
Published:May 06, 2007

Nabbed: Murder suspect Andrew Jordaan, 25, hides in the back of a police car as he is escorted away by police, after appearing at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court in connection with the murder of Sheldean Human. Seven-year-old Sheldean was found in a culvert outside the city's Fresh Produce Market Pictures: SIMON MATHEBULA

Grieving: Sheldean's mother, Elize Human, has lost her only child

Hear us, Mr President: Zhaney Saayman joined protesters in Pretoria with a placard asking: ‘Am I Next Mr Mbeki?'

National outpouring of grief: In Cape Town, actor Soli Philander hugs his wife, Toni, in front of a wall of remembrance for Sheldean. People and politicians gathered in front of Parliament on Friday in protest against Sheldean's murder Picture: ESA ALEXANDER

Enough is enough: Throngs of anti-crime protesters, many of them clad in pink to show solidarity with the family of Sheldean Human, and shouting ‘Hang Him! Hang Him!', marched outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. The protest was organised by anti-crime organisation the Pink Ladies, which was formed shortly after Sheldean's disappearance

Outrage: A protester holds a placard calling for the hanging of murder suspect Andrew Jordaan

Sheldean Human's murder draws ire of protesters in Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein; many call for reinstatement of death penalty.

South Africa saw a rare explosion of emotion over child victims of crime as the suspected killer of Sheldean Human appeared in court on Friday.

Anger was in the air when a crowd gathered outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court before Andrew Jordaan, 25, entered the dock in connection with the murder of the seven-year-old Pretoria girl.

In Cape Town, residents and politicians laid flowers at Parliament, while Bloemfontein saw a pink-top-and-blue- jeans protest — when Sheldean disappeared she was wearing a pink top and a denim skirt with pink flowers.

The emotion was not confined to South Africa: candles were also to be lit in memory of the little girl in several foreign countries.

Jordaan's trial was postponed to allow him to apply for an attorney through the Legal Aid Board. He is due in court again on March 16.

In Court 1, where he appeared, reporters and the public jostled for position. Those who could not get inside looked through window panes in the courtroom doors. After a quick look, some were in tears.

They took turns to look through the glass in the door, while Marelise Wessels, a former pupil at Laërskool Tuinrand, which Sheldean attended, climbed on her husband's back for a better view through a higher window.

“He doesn't even look remorseful. He is enjoying the attention,” she said.

Spectators, who packed the court to capacity, showed disappointment after Jordaan left the dock.

“You bastard,” whispered one man.

Six policemen surrounded Jordaan in the dock to protect him.

Clean shaven and wearing a faded blue shirt, Jordaan looked calm as he left for the holding cell.

As he was driven away many of the crowd chased the unmarked police car, shouting: “Maak hom dood! (Kill him!)” Jordaan kept low to avoid the taunts.

Placards among the crowd called for the death penalty.

One read: “Gee hom doodstraf of vir die publiek.” (Give him the death penalty or give him to the public).

Another placard carried by a man blowing a vuvuzela read: “Mr Mbeki: Hang the bastard, please!!!” Other placards displayed hangman's nooses.

The majority of the crowd were white Afrikaans speakers, although a vocal black contingent demonstrated and sang the national anthem and Jacob Zuma's trademark song Umshini wami.

Professional athlete and Olympic medallist Llewellyn Herbert joined the call for reinstating the death penalty.

Wearing a pink shirt and jeans, Herbert said: “We are sick and tired of crime. The death penalty should definitely come back.”

Pikkie van Amstel, the headmaster of Laërskool Tuinrand, called on people to give their children safety and freedom.

In Cape Town about 100 people, including politicians, had gathered outside Parliament's main gates by mid- morning.

“There is something fundamentally sick in South African society. We have a sick society,” said Independent Democrats' leader Patricia de Lille .

As she spoke, members of the public laid flowers around a poster-size photograph of Sheldean.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart called for the death penalty as there were “clearly insufficient deterrents in the justice system”.

The Democratic Alliance's Mike Waters said an average of three children were murdered each day in South Africa.

The pink-tops-and-jeans protest was also evident in Bloemfontein, where many parents and children arriving at the Universitas Primary School supported the protest.

The protest was arranged by anti- crime organisation, the Pink Ladies. A newspaper reported that the protest had gone global, and quoted Pink Ladies member Sandy van der Graaf as saying that people in several countries had contacted the organisation to say candles would be lit for Sheldean.

A private funeral for Sheldean will be held in Pretoria on Tuesday.

A public memorial service will be held at Cronjé Park at 10am on Tuesday, before the funeral. — Sapa

http://www.thetimes.co.za/SpecialReports/CrimeInSA/Article.aspx?id=408630
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PRETORIA
Emotions run high for Sheldean
Fri, 09 Mar 2007

South Africa saw a rare explosion of emotion over child victims of crime as the suspected killer of a seven-year-old Pretoria girl appeared in court on Friday.

Anger was in the air where a crowd gathered outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court before Andrew Jordaan (25), entered the dock in connection with the murder of Sheldean Human.

In Cape Town, residents and politicians laid flowers at Parliament, while Bloemfontein saw a pink-top-and-blue-jeans protest — the clothes Sheldean's body was found in.

The emotion was not confined to South Africa: candles were also to be lit in memory of the little girl in several foreign countries.

Trial postponed

Jordaan's trial was postponed to allow him to apply for a lawyer at the Legal Aid Board. He is due in court again on 16 March.

Spectators who packed the court to capacity showed disappointment after Jordaan left the dock.

"You bastard," whispered one man.

Six policemen surrounded Jordaan in the dock to protect him.

Clean shaven and wearing a faded blue shirt, Jordaan looked calm as he left for the holding cell.

As he was driven away many of the crowd chased the unmarked police car, shouting: "Maak hom dood! (Kill him!)"

Jordaan could not be seen through the car windows as he kept low to avoid the taunts of protesters.

In Court 1, where he appeared, reporters and the public jostled for position.

Those who could not get inside looked through window panes in the courtroom doors as proceedings got underway.

Many expressed a mixture of excitement and sadness. After a quick view, some were in tears.

They took turns to look through the glass in the door, while Marelise Wessels, a former pupil at Laerskool Tuinrand which Sheldean attended, climbed on her husband's back for a better view through another, higher window.

"He doesn't even look remorseful. He is enjoying the attention," she said.

Pink tops and jeans

Many of the crowd — some hundred of people strong — wore pink tops and jeans. Sheldean, who was found murdered in Pretoria this week, was dressed in a pink top and jeans when she went missing on February 18.

Placards among the crowd called for the death penalty.

One read: "Gee hom doodstraf of vir die publiek." (Give him the death penalty or give him to the public).

Dangling from the placard was a pink shirt and a pair of denim pants.

Another placard carried by a man blowing a vuvuzela read: "Mr Mbeki: Hang the bastard, please!!!"

Other placards displayed hangman's nooses.

The majority of the crowd was white Afrikaans speakers, although a vocal black contingent toyi-toyied, and sang the national anthem and even ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma's trademark song "Umshini wami".

Reinstate the death penalty

Professional athlete and Olympic medallist Llewellyn Herbert joined the call for reinstating the death penalty.

Also wearing a pink shirt and jeans, Herbert said: "We are sick and tired of crime. The death penalty should definitely come back."

The pink-top-and-jeans protest was arranged by an anti-child-crime non-profit organisation, the Pink Ladies.

Musicians and sports celebrities laid flowers in memory of Sheldean before Jordaan's appearance.

Rugby players Richard Bands, Jannie Brooks and Willem Strauss joined musicians Mel Botes, Adam Tas, Elizma Theron and MD Greyling to lay roses.

Pikkie van Amstel, the headmaster of Laerskool Tuinrand, called on people to give their children safety and freedom.

Van Amstel said children needed to play, walk barefoot and be happy.

In Cape Town about a hundred people, including politicians, had gathered outside Parliament's main gates by mid-morning.

"There is something fundamentally sick in South African society. We have a sick society," Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille told Sapa at the scene.

As she spoke, members of the public laid flowers around a poster-size photograph of Sheldean up against the plinth of a statue at Parliament's Roeland Street entrance.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart called for the death penalty as there was "clearly insufficient deterrent in the justice system".

The Democratic Alliance's Mike Waters said on average three children were murdered each day in South Africa.

The pink-tops-and-jeans protest was also evident in Bloemfontein where most parents and children arriving at the Universitas Primary school supported the protest.

The Star newspaper reported that the protest had gone global, and quoted Pink Ladies member Sandy van der Graaf saying that people in several countries, including Germany, Ireland, Canada and France had contacted the organisation to say candles would be lit for Sheldean.

Speaking to Sapa after Jordaan's appearance Dirk Herman, deputy general secretary of the Solidarity trade union said: "Domestic abuse crimes deserve harsh penalties.

"You can have sensors and alarms, but they can't protect children against family and friends."

As protesters dispersed from the court, many signed a petition in favour of the death penalty.

Private funeral for Sheldean

A private funeral for Sheldean will be held in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Ward committee member Phillip van Staden said a memorial service would be held on Tuesday before the funeral, and everyone was welcome to attend this.

The memorial service will take place at Cronje Park, at the corner of Skuurmanslaan and Gustav Adolf street at 10am on Tuesday.

Those attending were urged to bring their own chairs.

"The funeral will not be a political platform, it will just be in memory of Sheldean," Van Staden said.

The police's Captain Julia Claasen said Sheldean's body was released to her family on Thursday.

"However, the autopsy would not be released publicly as it will be used as evidence in court," Claasen said.

Sapa

http://iafrica.com/news/sa/672249.htm
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Pretoria rises up as Sheldean case postponed
March 09 2007 at 01:30PM
By Hanti Otto, Graeme Hosken, Sholain Govender and Janine du plessis

The city centre was a sea of pink as more than 1000 people descended on the Pretoria magistrate's court this morning for the appearance of the man accused of kidnapping and killing seven-year-old Sheldean Human.

There was a heavy police presence inside court when Andrew Jordaan,25, who had been secreted in from an undisclosed destination for a bail application, appeared shortly after 9am.

A row of police officers stood behind Jordaan inside the dock, creating a barrier between him and the jam-packed court.

He was wearing a shabby blue T-shirt and appeared tense as he clutched his cap behind his back.

Superintendent Piet Byleveld, the man who helped to crack the case, was in attendance, as well as Sheldean's mother Elize and Jordaan's mother Martjie, both wearing pink.

A charge of murder was added to the kidnapping charge laid against Jordaan earlier.

State prosecutor Matric Luphondo told the court that Jordaan's legal representative was not present. Jordaan opted for legal aid and the case was postponed to March 16.

He will be kept in custody at Brixton police station - away from the centre of growing protest in Pretoria.

The protest outside court this morning followed an emotional candlelight vigil attended by thousands of city residents in a Pretoria West park last night.

Several schoolchildren wore pink T-shirts and denim on Friday while office workers wore pink ribbons.

Friday's edition of Pretoria News came with a pink ribbon.

The colour pink was chosen by a group of mothers known as the Pink Ladies, as Sheldean was last seen alive wearing a pink T-shirt and a denim skirt.

Her decomposed body was found at a stormwater drain outlet near the Tshwane fresh produce Market on Monday night, two weeks after she had disappeared from outside her home in Pretoria Gardens.

Sheldean's name has become synonymous with the fight against crime in South Africa.

Outside court many of the placards called for the return of the death penalty and protesters sang the national anthem.

Claremont Square, where the vigil was held on Thursday night, has never been so packed before.

An estimated 5 000 people attended, many of them with their children who were wrapped in blankets. The crowd observed a minute's minute's silence before lighting candles for Sheldean.

Tea lights in the centre of the park spelled out Sheldean's name.

A giant poster of her, surrounded by tall red candles, bore the message: "We'll miss you, we'll never forget you, you are in our thoughts and dreams".

Hundreds of white, blue and pink balloons carrying Sheldean's picture were released into the night sky.

The vigil was also organised by the Pink Ladies and was attended by a cross-section of the population.

People the Pretoria News spoke to said they had come together to make one voice heard - the voice of South Africans tired of crime.

Mrs Africa 2006, Gillian Elson, said it was time the government did something to keep children safe.

Elson said she called on all South Africans - young and old, men and women - to unite against crime and to make their voices heard.

"The time is now for us to stand together and say 'no more'.

"We will no longer allow South Africa's future to bleed. We as South Africans must stand up and say 'enough is enough'," she said, to a standing ovation.

Pink Lady Sandy van der Graaf, said: "Tonight is the night we want to tell the world how a small little girl in her death has touched us.

"Our message has been picked up in Poland, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Botswana, Namibia, France and Canada, where people are joining us in our campaign to stop crimes against children across South Africa and throughout the world."

She said thousands of people in those countries had contacted them to tell them that they would be lighting candles in schools and parks in remembrance of Sheldean and other "missing" children.

Elize Human, wearing a pink T-shirt with a picture of her daughter on it, said she had been left almost speechless by the turnout last night.

"I cannot believe the number of people my little angel has touched.

"What I and South Africa are going through is unbelievable. I did not know that so many people cared for me and my little baby. I will never forget this; it means the world to me.

"Our family will always be eternally grateful for the support that we have received from the police, the private investigators and all South Africans," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

o This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on March 09, 2007

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070309125657788C640426
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Emotions explode as sheldean accused appears

PRETORIA – South Africa saw a rare explosion of emotion over child victims of crime as the suspected killer of a seven-year-old Pretoria girl appeared in court on Friday.
Anger was in the air where a crowd gathered outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court before Andrew Jordaan, 25, entered the dock in connection with the murder of Sheldean Human.
In Cape Town, residents and politicians laid flowers at Parliament, while Bloemfontein saw a pink-top-and-blue-jeans protest -- the clothes Sheldean's body was found in.
The emotion was not confined to South Africa: candles were also to be lit in memory of the little girl in several foreign countries.

Jordaan's trial was postponed to allow him to apply for a lawyer at the Legal Aid Board. He is due in court again on March 16.
Spectators who packed the court to capacity showed disappointment after Jordaan left the dock.
“You bastard,” whispered one man.
Six policemen surrounded Jordaan in the dock to protect him.
Clean shaven and wearing a faded blue shirt, Jordaan looked calm as he left for the holding cell.
As he was driven away many of the crowd chased the unmarked police car, shouting: “Maak hom dood! (Kill him!)” Jordaan could not be seen through the car windows as he kept low to avoid the taunts of protesters.

In Court 1, where he appeared, reporters and the public jostled for position.
Those who could not get inside looked through window panes in the courtroom doors as proceedings got underway.
Many expressed a mixture of excitement and sadness. After a quick view, some were in tears.
They took turns to look through the glass in the door, while Marelise Wessels, a former pupil at Laerskool Tuinrand which Sheldean attended, climbed on her husband's back for a better view through another, higher window.
“He doesn't even look remorseful. He is enjoying the attention,” she said.
Many of the crowd -- some hundred of people strong -- wore pink tops and jeans. Sheldean, who was found murdered in Pretoria this week, was dressed in a pink top and jeans when she went missing on February 18.

Placards among the crowd called for the death penalty.
One read: “Gee hom doodstraf of vir die publiek.” (Give him the death penalty or give him to the public).
Dangling from the placard was a pink shirt and a pair of denim pants.
Another placard carried by a man blowing a vuvuzela read: “Mr Mbeki: Hang the bastard, please!!!” Other placards displayed hangman's nooses.
The majority of the crowd was white Afrikaans speakers, although a vocal black contingent toyi-toyied, and sang the national anthem and even ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma's trademark song “Umshini wami.”

Professional athlete and Olympic medallist Llewellyn Herbert joined the call for re-instating the death penalty.
Also wearing a pink shirt and jeans, Herbert said: “We are sick and tired of crime. The death penalty should definitely come back.”
The pink-top-and-jeans protest was arranged by an anti-child-crime non-profit organisation, the Pink Ladies.
Musicians and sports celebrities laid flowers in memory of Sheldean before Jordaan's appearance.
Rugby players Richard Bands, Jannie Brooks and Willem Strauss joined musicians Mel Botes, Adam Tas, Elizma Theron and MD Greyling to lay roses.

Pikkie van Amstel, the headmaster of Laerskool Tuinrand, called on people to give their children safety and freedom.
Van Amstel said children needed to play, walk barefoot and be happy.
In Cape Town about a hundred people, including politicians, had gathered outside Parliament's main gates by mid-morning.
“There is something fundamentally sick in South African society. We have a sick society,” Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille told Sapa at the scene.
As she spoke, members of the public laid flowers around a poster-size photograph of Sheldean up against the plinth of a statue at Parliament's Roeland Street entrance.
African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart called for the death penalty as there was “clearly insufficient deterrent in the justice system”.
The Democratic Alliance's Mike Waters said on average three children were murdered each day in South Africa.

The pink-tops-and-jeans protest was also evident in Bloemfontein where most parents and children arriving at the Universitas Primary school supported the protest.
The Star newspaper reported that the protest had gone global, and quoted Pink Ladies member Sandy van der Graaf saying that people in several countries, including Germany, Ireland, Canada and France had contacted the organisation to say candles would be lit for Sheldean.
Speaking to Sapa after Jordaan's appearance Dirk Herman, deputy general secretary of the Solidarity trade union said: “Domestic abuse crimes deserve harsh penalties.
“You can have sensors and alarms, but they can't protect children against family and friends.”
As protesters dispersed from the court, many signed a petition in favour of the death penalty.
A private funeral for Sheldean will be held in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Ward committee member Phillip van Staden said a memorial service would be held on Tuesday before the funeral, and everyone was welcome to attend this.
The memorial service will take place at Cronje Park, at the corner of Skuurmanslaan and Gustav Adolf street at 10am on Tuesday.
Those attending were urged to bring their own chairs.
“The funeral will not be a political platform, it will just be in memory of Sheldean,” Van Staden said.
The police's Captain Julia Claasen said Sheldean's body was released to her family on Thursday.
“However, the autopsy would not be released publicly as it will be used as evidence in court,” Claasen said. –Sapa

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=33850,1,22
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Hundreds protest over Sheldean
2007-3-9 11:50

Johannesburg - Hundreds of people across South Africa have protested against child murders in the country, dressed in a pink top and jeans, to remember Sheldean Human.

The seven-year-old was taken from her Pretoria home last month and her body was found in a culvert in the capital on Monday. She was dressed in a pink top and jeans when she went missing.

Several hundred protesters gathered outside Pretoria magistrate's court on Friday, where the case of Andrew Jordaan, 25, the man accused of murdering Sheldean, was postponed until March 16.

The court was packed to capacity before Jordaan appeared, with journalists and the public jostling for space. All the seating was occupied and numerous people stood. Many more who could not fit into the court room remained outside the building.

The protestors dispersed peacefully after the postponement.

'Sick society'

About a hundred people, including politicians, also gathered outside parliament's main gates in Cape Town for a peaceful protest against the high rate of child murders in South Africa.

"There is something fundamentally sick in South African society. We have a sick society," Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille told Sapa at the scene.

As she spoke, members of the public laid bunches of flowers around a poster-size photograph of Sheldean that had been leaned up against the plinth of a statue at parliament's Roeland Street entrance.

De Lille expressed sympathy for all families who had lost children to crime.

"There is no justification for the murder, rape and maiming of the most vulnerable in our society," she said.

Call to reinstate death penalty

African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart said government was failing in its role to protect citizens.

He further called for reinstatement of the death penalty, saying there was "clearly insufficient deterrent in the justice system".

The Democratic Alliance's Mike Waters said on average three children were murdered each day in South Africa.

He said he hoped the protest would galvanise citizens and the media to highlight child murders.

"It should spur government, the public sector and society to start doing something about child abuse and murders."

There were a range of initiatives, including the sending of missing children's photos via cellphones by the major network operators, that could be implemented, but these needed to be driven by government, Waters said.

Bloemfontein

The pink-tops-and-jeans protest was also evident in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Most parents and children arriving at the Universitas primary school were wearing pink tops and jeans, while boys wore white shirts, a pink ribbon and jeans.

The protest against children becoming victims of crime was arranged by a group called the Pink Ladies.

Gargerienne Green, a mother of three, also wearing a pink top and jeans, said most of her colleagues at the University of the Free State were wearing the same cloths when she arrived at work on Friday.

"Most in our division are wearing pink tops and jeans today, even my husband put on a pink shirt today.

"We support the protest against violence toward children, and also against women."

http://www.24.com/news/?p=saa&i=445403
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Protesters flock to Sheldean accused's court appearance
Pretoria, South Africa
09 March 2007 02:17

Several hundred protesters dressed in pink tops and jeans in sympathy with the family of murdered seven-year-old Sheldean Human dispersed peacefully from outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday.

A petition for the reinstatement of the death penalty was signed by most of the supporters before they dispersed.

Sheldean, who was found murdered in the city this week, was dressed in a pink top and jeans when she went missing on February 18.

Earlier in the day, the case of the man suspected of murdering the girl was postponed in the court. Andrew Jordaan (25), who had no lawyer, will apply for one at the Legal Aid Board and appear again on March 16.

Spectators who packed the court to capacity showed signs of disappointment after Jordan left the dock. "You bastard," whispered one man.

Jordaan had six police officers surrounding him in the dock for protection. Clean-shaven and wearing a faded blue shirt, he looked calm as he left for the holding cell.

As he was driven away, many of the crowd that had been there since early in the morning chased the car as far as they could, shouting: "Maak hom dood [Kill him]!" Jordaan could not be seen through the windows of the car as he kept low to avoid the angry taunts of the protesters.

Packed courtroom
The courtroom where he appeared was crowded with reporters and the public jostling for position. Those who could not get inside flocked to the doors of the courtroom for a peek through window panes in the doors as proceedings got under way. Many expressed emotions that were a mixture of excitement and sadness. After a quick view, many protesters were in tears.

Placards among the crowd outside the court called for the death penalty. One read: "Gee hom doodstraf of vir die publiek [Give him the death penalty or give him to the public]." Dangling from the placard were a pink shirt and a pair of denim pants. Other placards displayed hangman's nooses.

The majority of the crowd was white Afrikaans speakers, although a vocal black contingent toyi-toyied and sang the national anthem and African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma's trademark song Umshini wami.

Professional athlete and Olympic medallist Llewellyn Herbert joined the call for reinstating the death penalty. Also wearing a pink shirt and jeans, he said: "We are sick and tired of crime. The death penalty should definitely come back."

The pink-top-and-jeans protest was arranged by an anti-child-crime non-profit organisation, the Pink Ladies. Musicians and sports celebrities laid flowers in memory of Sheldean during the gathering to protest against children being victims of crime.

Rugby stars, musicians attend
The noisy protest turned quiet and sombre for a moment as AfriForum's Kallie Kriel addressed the crowd and introduced rugby players Richard Bands, Jannie Brooks and Willem Strauss. Together with musicians Mel Botes, Adam Tas, Elizma Theron and MD Greyling, they also laid roses.

Pikkie van Amstel, the headmaster of Laerskool Tuinrand, called on people to give their children safety and freedom. "When you go home, take hands together, mother and father, and go to church on Sunday. That is where children's happiness begins." He said children need to play, walk barefoot and be happy.

Speaking to the South African Press Association after Jordaan's appearance, Dirk Herman, deputy general secretary of Solidarity, said: "Domestic abuse crimes deserve harsh penalties. What made people so emotional was that the family knew the man accused of the crime. Communities in poorer areas are so much more vulnerable to this sort of thing.

"People live communally. The mother and father often both work and there may be any number of family [members] living in a home."

Herman said Solidarity will soon launch a 365-day campaign against violence committed against children. "You can have sensors and alarms, but they can't protect children against family and friends."

http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=301515
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Police search for missing Langa toddler 1/3/2008 2:06:04 PM

Cape Town police are looking for a missing two-year-old Langa boy.

Officers say they suspect the toddler may have been kidnapped by his family's domestic worker.

Police say Owami Ngqenqa's mother, Mandisa, arrived home yesterday afternoon to discover that both her son and the maid had disappeared.

The maid had left a note, saying she took the boy with her.

Missing person organisation "The Pink Ladies" has appealed to anyone with information to come forward.

The investigating officer in the case can be reached on 079 880 9828.

http://www.702.co.za/news/archives.asp?action=search&date=2008.01.03
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Mom agonises over runaway teen daughter
2 January 2008, 11:32
By Lavern de Vries

While most people spent New Year's Day with their families, Catherine Jansen van Vuuren spent the day at work slaving away at her desk.

This is the only way to keep in check her concern over her teenage daughter and seven-month-old grandchild who have been missing since September.

"I don't sleep at all at night. I lie tossing and turning wondering where she is, what she is doing, if she is getting food.

"I find it easier to work," the emotional mother of two told the Cape Argus.

Four months ago Jansen van Vuuren returned from her job as a manager at a bakery to discover that her youngest daughter, Dominique, 15, was missing. She had also taken her baby son, who was just four months old, with her.

Jansen van Vuuren lodged a missing persons report at the Kuils River police station.

Apparently, the slightly built Dominique had left with her 23-year-old boyfriend, whom she started dating behind her mother's back last year.

"I was completely against them being together. Last year she came to me and told me she had fallen pregnant. At the time she was so indecisive and naive that she didn't know whether she wanted to abort the baby or keep it."

Soon after Daniel's birth, however, the family started having problems.

Dominique, who was in love with her baby's father, started picking fights with her mother.

"I had set rules he could visit for two hours at least thrice a week and he had to pay maintenance and buy nappies.

"This didn't materialise and when I started laying down the law, Dominique and I would argue with the baby's father."

With the help of the Missing Children organisation and the Pink Ladies, Jansen van Vuuren has sent out scores of flyers with photographs of her daughter and grandson.

She has since learnt that Dominique and her boyfriend and child apparently hiked to Oudtshoorn, after which they took a bus and landed somewhere in Gauteng.

"On Christmas Eve she sent me a 'please call me' and I phoned her but we spoke very briefly. The little telephonic contact we have had is always interrupted so I'm not sure if she is afraid of being discovered talking to me," said Jansen van Vuuren, adding: "The mere fact that she sent me a message just after 12am on Christmas, though, gives me hope.

She stayed awake to SMS me and I was in her thoughts, just as she is always in mine."

She said her daughter's development was far from complete.

"I believe I had children for three reasons to love them, to guide them to the best of my abilities and to allow their development to the best of their capabilities.

"Dominique isn't finished with her training. She needs to come home so that she can complete her education and then, if she wants to leave home, she can.

"I will be at peace knowing that she is equipped to be in the real world," Jansen van Vuuren said with tears in her eyes.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of her daughter may call 072 647 7464.

Jansen van Vuuren has contacted a private investigator willing to aid her search.

"I will find my daughter, even if I have to drive to Johannesburg to do it and even if it's the last thing I do. She is a part of me."

* This article was originally published on page 4 of The Cape Argus on January 02, 2008

http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20080102110515622C764866

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Police begin search for missing boys
3 December 2007, 01:19

Two little boys have gone missing from the Fisantekraal squatter camp near Durbanville, Western Cape police said on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Constable Siphokazi Mawisa said four-year-old Anele Mfecele and five-year-old Thandolwethu Xhanti went missing on Saturday while playing nearby where they stay.

They were last seen at about 11am on Saturday morning by other children.

"Police visited the places that they were last seen with no success."

Xhanti was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt.

It is not known what Mfecele was wearing.

Civil society group The Pink Ladies said the boys were apparently seen getting into a white Toyota Corolla.

Anyone with information should contact Constable Cornelius Kennett on 021 970 5600 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. - Sapa

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20071202230242248C920614

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Call for sexual predators list
18 August 2007, 16:10
By Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat and Kashiefa Ajam

The brutal murder of six-year-old Steven Siebert at the hands of convicted paedophile and child-killer Theunis Christian Olivier has elicited an outcry for a national register of paedophiles - but not everyone agrees that a register would work in South Africa, where there is, at best, a seven percent conviction rate.

Joan van Niekerk, national co-ordinator of Childline, believes that "no register will protect children". It could, in fact, contribute to the problem of child protection.

However, Dr Thinus Coetzee, a counsellor and operation head for an anti-child crimes group called the Pink Ladies, argues that a national register for paedophiles would work.

Referring to the Olivier case, he said: "If there was a register in place we might have known that the person was a potential predator. How many cases are still pending against this particular predator? Yet nobody paid attention and the ultimate result was the end of a beautiful little life."

Lillian Artz, director of the University of Cape Town's Gender, Health and Justice Unit, isn't convinced that establishing a national register is the way to go for South Africa. "It's a great way to identify and monitor paedophiles but I don't think the government has the capacity to pull it off," she said.

Apart from the reluctance of children and parents to report incidents, said Van Niekerk, another compelling reason why a register wouldn't work was the ease with which people were able to obtain new identities.

Olivier, who was found guilty of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and murdering Steven - who he had enticed away from his parents' holiday home in Plettenberg Bay in late December 2005 - told the police he had sexually molested more than 200 boys over a period 30 years.

Coetzee argues: "The expressed goal of having sex offender registers is to reduce recidivism and promote public safety. Such registers would increase community awareness, making sex offenders feel more susceptible to the risks associated with offending.

"For such a register to be effective it needs to be made public. In this way, a person with small children, in any given area, could be aware of a predator staying in the area.

Sure, it might give rise to vigilantism but we feel that this would never be the case if the predator didn't commit the crime in the first place.

"In our view, the memories of a jail sentence do not outweigh the lifelong scarred memories a victim has to suffer."

Van Niekerk stresses the importance and the role of the proposed Children's Act. This provides for "a list of persons unsuitable to work with children" under the national child protection register, but will not come into force until the Children's Amendment Bill is passed by parliament.

But more important than having this legislation, she said, was having an effective system of management. "We need the Child Protection Unit back, the police need to be properly trained, and people who work in these units need to have a passion for working with children."

The development of legislation for children, particularly in relation to justice issues, should be done in consultation with experts in the field of childcare. "The protection of children is different to that of adults," she noted.

Van Niekerk described the national child protection register as much better than the eagerly awaited Sexual Offences Bill, which provides for a national confidential register of known sexual offenders. The bill is currently before the National Council of Provinces.

"The Sexual Offences Bill refers only to sex offenders. The Children's Act will capture anybody who commits crimes against children and is far more comprehensive."

According to Lakela Kaunda, spokesperson for the department of social development, the Children's Act refers to all offences against children such as assault, molestation, indecent assault and any statutory sexual offence.

She highlights that part B of the Child Protection Register focuses on a list of persons unsuitable to work with children - defining these people as "persons that abuse a child, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically or by deliberate neglect".

This register would be kept and managed by the same department, said Kaunda, adding: "The list is a general one, not focusing on paedophiles per se but on crimes against children in general."

And according to the act, "Any court and accredited forum can find that a person is unsuitable to work with children, and will forward that ruling to the national department of social development", said Kaunda.

Those who automatically qualify to be included on the list are "any persons convicted of murder, attempted murder, rape, indecent assault or assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm".

However, said Kaunda, "The list will not be made available to the general public".

"The obligation lies with employers who work with children to screen employees against part B of the register."

A reliable source from the same department told the Saturday Star that those who will have access to this list will be all municipalities and health and education institutions.

"However, if you suspect that a paedophile is living next door to you, you will not be granted access to the list."

The source says there is now a sense of urgency in passing the bill, which would see the second section of the amended Children's Act approved.

"We are still waiting for the South African Police Service and the justice department to compile lists for us. All the provincial issues will be sorted out by the end of September. We are hoping to have a list by June next year."

One of the issues that had delayed the list's implementation was the constitutional question of whether offenders would have their rights violated.

But the source said: "We have consulted with many legal experts on this matter. If any of these people want to take us to court for violating their constitutional rights, they must just go ahead."

Justice and constitutional development ministry spokesperson Zolile Nqayi said the two registers (offender and protection) did not constitute a duplication as they were intended for different reasons.

"Yes, there are similarities, as both are intended to protect children and preclude a convicted person from working with children. However, there are major differences between the two registers.

"For example, the offender register provided for in the Sexual Offences Bill also protects mentally disabled people against sex offenders who have been convicted before or after the commencement of the act, while the information on the protection register is used to protect children in general against people convicted of abuse and neglect."

Van Niekerk believes that having two registers would take resources away from effective intervention such as providing for supervision and treatment of sexual offenders as well as providing treatment to the children.

"We are constantly told that we don't have the money. We need to look at what will work and can't work, and we must educate the public. Those people who work with children will have to be checked against two registers. In reality it will not help the children."

Last week it was reported that a lack of adequate government resources could result in a complete failure of the national sex offenders register despite the Sexual Offences Bill being close to promulgation.

Although the names of Olivier and a host of other paedophiles will appear on such a register once the bill is approved, experts warned that the state needed a "good circle of professionals" to monitor the list.

UCT's Artz added: "The child sex offenders' register can only be a value-adding mechanism if it is sustained and resourced correctly.

"It is a very complex matter and not just something you can start and add names to every time someone is convicted.

"If we look at the US, their paedophile register is working because they have a group of social workers, police, probation officers and law professionals employed to monitor it.

"I don't think it's going to be easy for our government to monitor all these things. It's not just about slapping a list together; it's about monitoring every individual person on that list."

Artz said the body commissioned to establish the register should also ensure that convicted paedophiles were kept away from children after serving jail sentences.

"Things often fall through the cracks," she noted.

Ten years ago the South African Law Commission initiated a project on sexual offences that would ultimately result in the Sexual Offences Bill.

In 2003 the bill went to parliament, where it sat for four years until finally being passed by the National Assembly this year.

It is currently before the National Council of Provinces, the final step before the bill becomes law. - Additional reporting by Clayton Barnes

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=685&fArticleId=vn20070818092921602C998951

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Roads closed for Sheldean protest
Graeme Hosken
March 09 2007 at 08:34AM

Roads are to be closed in Pretoria on Friday in anticipation of nearly 1 000 protesters expected to descend on the city's magistrate's court where seven-year-old Sheldean Human's alleged killer will appear.

The city is bracing itself for the protest to be led by the Pink Ladies (PL), a non-profit anti-child crimes organisation comprising mothers from throughout South Africa.

The protesters, of which only 250 have been given permission to demonstrate, will be singing and chanting slogans, offering support to Sheldean's family and calling for the harshest possible sentence for her alleged killer, Andrew Jordaan , 25.

Jordaan, who is expected to apply for bail, was arrested for Sheldean's kidnapping two days after she disappeared from her Pretoria Gardens home nearly three weeks ago.

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PL founder Raquel Lewis said they were anticipating a large turnout. "We originally thought there would only be a few people, but word has spread quickly and we have heard that people from throughout South Africa are coming."

Several well-known South African musicians and sporting heroes are among those who would join the march. Lewis said it was important for people to make their voices heard if the scourge of crime against children was to be stopped.

"This is one way of showing the world that South Africa's future generations are bleeding when it comes to crime," she said.

Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Superintendent Alta Fourie confirmed that only 250 people had been given permission to protest. She said that Schoeman Street between Schubart and Bosman streets would be closed.

Parking had been arranged in Schubart Street. The roads would be closed between 6am and 11am, she said.

o This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on March 09, 2007

http://www.iol.za.org/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070309033151782C724399
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Jeppestown toddler still missing 10/12/2007 7:08:11 AM

There's still no sign of three-year-old Amanda Mbatha who went missing from Jeppestown last week.

She was last seen going for a walk with her mentally-ill uncle. It's believed they were on their way to Smit Street in Joubert Park.

Police joined forces with the Pink Ladies, an organisation for missing people, to find her.

The organisation's Granny Dezzie says they're confident they'll find her soon.

http://www.702.co.za/news/archives.asp?action=search&date=2007.10.12
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SA vermis nog 920 kinders
JAN GERBER 02/08/2007 08:34:20 PM - (SA)

STELLENBOSCH. – “Dis 'n hele skool se kinders wat weg is.”

Só sê supt. Fanie van Deventer, hoof van die polisie se buro vir vermiste persone, oor die sowat 920 vermiste kinders in Suid-Afrika wat sedert 1994 nie opgespoor kon word nie.

Die aantal vermiste kinders in Suid-Afrika het gister in die soeklig gekom. Dít nadat die vakbond Solidariteit se Helpende Hand-fonds 'n protesaksie tydens die hofverskyning van die sewejarige Sheldean Human se vermeende moordenaar en ontvoerder, mnr. Andrew Jordaan, gehou het.

“Meer as 30 kinders verdwyn per week in Suid-Afrika. Dit beteken dat sowat 1 600 kinders jaarliks in Suid-Afrika as vermis aangemeld word. Van hulle word 320 nooit weer gesien nie,” het me. Mariana Kriel van die Helpende Hand-fonds in 'n verklaring gesê.

“Daar sal op elke dag van stilswye oor dié misdade teen kinders gemiddeld vier kinders verdwyn, en ná elke uur waarin hulle nie gevind word nie, word hul kans op oorlewing skraler.

“Daar is bewys dat die polisie 72 uur nadat 'n kind as vermis aangemeld is, na 'n lyk begin soek. Elke uur is kosbaar.”

Mnr. Pieter Boshoff van die vrywilligersorganisasie www.missingchildren.co.za het gister gesê daar word gemiddeld drie tot vier kinders per dag in Suid-Afrika as vermis aangemeld. “Dit klink eintlik meer as wat dit werklik is. Baie kinders loop weg en word die volgende dag weer gevind. Dit word steeds by die syfers ingesluit.”

Van Deventer het gesê daar word jaarliks gemiddeld sowat 1 200 tot 1 500 vermiste kinders aangemeld. Hy meen egter dis nie heeltemal korrek om te sê 30 kinders verdwyn per week in Suid-Afrika nie. “Daar ráák kinders weg. Party dae verdwyn geen kinders nie en ander dae is dit sommer vier of vyf.”

Volgens statistieke wat Boshoff van die Amerikaanse departement van justisie verkry het, word daar in Amerika meer as 2 000 kinders per dag as vermis aangemeld. Amerika se bevolking is ongeveer 300 miljoen, volgens die VSA sensusburo (www.census.gov), teenoor Suid-Afrika se ongeveer 48 miljoen mense, volgens Statistieke Suid-Afrika (www.statssa.gov.za).

Boshoff het gesê Suid-Afrika vind sowat 85% van alle vermiste kinders.

Volgens Van Deventer is dit belangrik dat gemeenskappe besef hulle is vir hul kinders verantwoordelik. “Mense moet besef kinders se veiligheid begin en eindig by die huis.”

Hy het bygevoeg organisasies soos www.missingchildren.co.za en The Pink Ladies is 'n groot hulp in die verspreiding van inligting wanneer kinders vermis word.

Sheldean, van Pretoria, is op 18 Februarie vanjaar as vermis aangemeld en haar liggaam is op 5 Maart gevind.

Sedertdien is verskeie kinders ontvoer en vermoor, onder wie Stacie Wiese (11) van Mitchells Plain, Micéala Rossouw (6) van Swellendam, Sonja Brown (2) van Rawsonville en Elizabeth Martiens (13) van Merweville.

http://www.dieburger.com/Stories/News/14.0.2909681724.aspx
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