Outrage floods Twitter as Mzansi responds to Tazne van Wyk's death

21 February 2020 - 11:47 By Cebelihle Bhengu

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Tazne van Wyk's body was found in a drain pipe late on Wednesday after she had been missing for close to two weeks. The suspect who has been arrested was out on parole after being found guilty of culpable homicide.
Image: change.org

Social media is reeling after the discovery of 8-year-old Tazne van Wyk's body after almost two weeks of searching for the missing child.

Van Wyk was last seen on February 7 when she left her Elsies River home to buy an ice lolly at a nearby shop.

A 54-year-old suspect was the last person seen by witnesses with the child.

He was interviewed by police on Wednesday and led them to a storm water pipe in Worcester where Van Wyke's body was found.

On Friday community members protested at the Goodwood magistrate's court where the suspect, Moydine Pangarker, is appearing. They chanted, “we want justice”, as they forced their way into the premises.

Some protesters carried placards with Van Wyk's pictures and messages against gender-based violence.

Here's what Mzansi had to say:

To be a woman or a girl in South Africa is to know fear intimately.

Hearing the news of Tazne Van Wyk's death is like a. Punch to my heart. 8 years old. Your life ends with your little body stuffed into a drain. You deserved to be safe sweet child. You deserved to live.
— Nikki Lincoln (@nikkilincoln) February 20, 2020

South Africa has failed you 💔

Rest In Peace

TAZNE VAN WYK pic.twitter.com/I1hO34XLaC
— Robin Pieters (@iamRobinP) February 20, 2020

For Tazne Van Wyk, 8 yrs old
For Zahnia Woodward, 6 months old
For Courtney Pieters, 3 yrs old
For Stacha Arendse, 11 yrs old
For Luyanda Mhlongo, 14 yrs old
For Iyapha Yamile, 4 yrs old
For Hanah Cornelius, 21 yrs old
For Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19 yrs old
For Jesse Hess, 18 yrs old pic.twitter.com/QDb7iDAhwq
— #RIPTazne (@rxsh_txlip) February 20, 2020

8 yr old #TazneVanWyk is dead because an unrehabilitated murder & rapist was released.

SAn men, tell us what more we need to do for men to stop murdering & raping us & our children. @CyrilRamaphosa tell us what more we must do for you to take this seriously.

We're out of ideas.
— Sharné Zoë (@Zoe_SZi) February 20, 2020

I left work early to fetch my daughter from school today after reading the news about Tazne. Thats literally all I could do. I feel sick, angry and helpless. How does a family recover from this??😭😭😭 #TazneVanWyk https://t.co/wZ1tvtcXtH
— Phumza (AKA) Ndlovukazi, Ntombi ka MamThembu! (@Phumzi) February 20, 2020

the death of a child is one of the hardest things to come to term with. rest in paradise tazne van wyk 🕊🖤
— 𝘼𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙚 (@fleurenamour) February 20, 2020

They should make the sexual offenders and peadophiles database publicly available. Along with pictures (recent) of the offenders.
— Inner-(hype)-man (@tshnkh) February 20, 2020

The man accused of kidnapping and murdering Tazne van Wyk, appeared at the Goodwood magistrate's court in Cape Town on February 21 2020. The body of the eight-year-old was found by police on February 19 2020 after the child had gone missing from her Elsies River home almost two weeks before. His court appearance was delayed by 90 minutes by protesters.