The death of the 11-year-old Relebogile Segami from Galeshewe in Kimberley sent chills down the spine of residents, many of whom said the accused better stay in prison for his own safety.
The accused, Itumeleng Machabe (24), appeared in the Galeshewe Magistrate’s Court on Monday (04/04) on charges of rape and murder, while a large crowd gathered outside the court building.
The case was postponed until Wednesday (13/04) for bail application.
After being missing for more than 24 hours, Relebogile’s body was found dumped in the veld behind the building of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in Kimberley.
Capt. Olebogeng Tawana, police spokesperson, said the discovery was made on Thursday (31/03) at approximately 17:50.
Relebogile was last seen at around 08:00 the previous day when she left her home in Latlhi Mabilo Street, Galeshewe, in the company of her friends.
An intensive multi-disciplinary search by the Galeshewe Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, the Kimberley K9 Unit, Galeshewe Visible Policing and the Kimberley Search and Rescue Team, which followed her disappearance, led to the discovery of her body and the arrest of the suspect.
Since then, the social media was flooded with posts that ranged from shock, disgust, sadness and outrage to the insensitive posting of photos of Relebogile’s body.
“Please stop posting her pictures whilst on the crime scene. Remove every photo on the social platforms… her nakedness cannot be exposed on social media,” a family member pleaded on Facebook.
The suspect’s name and detail of other controversial issues he had allegedly been involved in, was also posted before his first court appearance.
A Facebook profile with the words “Oh sweetie, Monsters are real and they look like people” on the banner was also imputed to the suspect via social media comments.
Parents who feel justice had failed them in their own, unrelated cases, also commented.
“My child was raped and assaulted last year on 17 August 2021. The person who did this is walking free. Like nothing has happened. And my child was only two years,” a woman wrote.
Tumelo Mosikare, a community leader, gave a proposal on the Facebook page Kimberley Community Forum for a project plan to clean up the area around the legislature’s building to prevent similar cases in future, referring to the area as “the veld of death”.
Amidst the interaction on social media, community members marched in solidarity against this social ill, and the premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, visited Relebogile’s parents with several delegates, including the mayor of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Kagisho Sonyoni.
Col Mashay Gamieldien, SAPS provincial communications officer, reminded community members that there is no waiting period for reporting a missing person, and that it should be done immediately.
- A memorial service for Relebogile was held on Tuesday in the Helen Joseph Hall in Galeshewe.
