Emaan Solomons, 7, died in February 2020 after being shot in a gang war.
Two alleged Junky Funky Kidz gang members accused of the murder of a 7-year-old girl in Ocean View in 2020 have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them, according to National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila.
Eben Basson and Chivargo Fredericks face charges of murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
They are accused of shooting Emaan Solomons in front of her Libra Road home on February 25, 2020, during a gang war.
Emaan was shot in the chest and hand and was rushed to False Bay Hospital where she later died (“Too many innocent lives lost,” Echo, March 5, 2020).
More than four years after her death, the murder trial officially started in the Western Cape High Court on Monday September 2, and mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis attended the court proceedings on the first day in support of Emaan’s family.
Speaking to the Echo before the start of court proceedings on Thursday September 5, Emaan’s father, Azmir Oosthuizen, said it was an emotional time for the family.
On Tuesday, the court did an inspection in loco of the crime scene.
Mr Oosthuizen said the area around their home had been cordoned off by the anti-gang-unit and no press or filming had been permitted.
“This was a very traumatic experience for the family. To see the two men at the house,” he said.
He said Judge Gayaat Da-Silva-Salie had not been satisfied with the photographs presented in court and had wanted to get a better idea of where the incident had happened.
Mr Oosthuizen said the visit had helped the family “paint a picture in their head” of what had happened on that fateful day.
“It is still very difficult for the family, and we will only be able to start healing once we get justice,” he said.