ANC in Ekurhuleni visiting raped and murdered Bokgabo Poo’s family “to pay homage”

Members of the ANC in Ekurhuleni will be visiting the home of Bokgabo Poo, the four-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and murdered last week. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

Members of the ANC in Ekurhuleni will be visiting the home of Bokgabo Poo, the four-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and murdered last week. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

Published Oct 19, 2022

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Pretoria - The ANC in Ekurhuleni today will visit the family of Bokgabo Poo, the four-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in Benoni last week.

In an advisory to media, spokesperson for the ANC caucus in the City of Ekurhuleni, Thabang Mashiyane, said the party would be going to “pay homage”.

“The ANC Ekurhuleni Caucus Exco in Ekurhuleni will pay a homage visit to the family of the late little Bokgabo Poo, who was brutally murdered by an alleged 30-year-old man, Ntokozo Zikhali, in Wattville, Ekurhuleni,” said Mashiyane.

The ANC activists are set to gather this morning at the Wattville Day Care Centre before walking to the bereaved family’s house.

Bokgabo Poo, who was kidnapped, raped and brutally murdered last week. File Picture

On Monday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said police are ramping up efforts to locate some body parts of the slain 4-year-old Bokgabo, which are still missing after some of her remains were found in different places last week.

“I have come to tell the police to leave no stone unturned until we get everything we need. The body of our little sister … we still have parts that are still missing. We need to unleash all the law enforcement agencies,” said Lesufi, who was accompanied by provincial Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko at the family’s home.

“I spoke to the police to bring the K9, police divers – just to bring all the technology that they have at their disposal so that we assist the family to close this chapter.

“The police have assured us that they are working extremely hard, even though the suspect is not co-operating. They are working extremely hard to ensure they obtain the necessary information that can assist us.”

There was a scuffle at the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on Monday as enraged community members demanded to lay their hands on the 28-year-old Ntokozo Zikhali, who was arrested in connection with the brutal murder and rape of the four-year-old.

When he allegedly committed the heinous crimes, Zikhali was out on bail in a separate matter, where he allegedly raped a 9-year-old girl. In connection with the case of Bokgabo, Zikhali has been charged with kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and the violation of a corpse.

Bokgabo’s father, Irvin Ndlovu, supported by some community members, attempted to attack Zikhali, who was protected by a heavy contingent of police officers.

Police had to hold Ndlovu back as he charged at the man accused of murdering his daughter, jumping over the benches inside the court before he was restrained.

It has since emerged that when CCTV images of him, with missing four-year-old girl Bokgabo Poo in Benoni, started circulating widely on social media, Zikhali allegedly fled to Boksburg last week.

According to the NPA Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, it was in Boksburg where an alert petrol attendant spotted Zikhali and reported him to the police on Friday.

“As part of the investigation, CCTV footage from a nearby tavern was discovered, which showed the deceased (Bokgabo) walking with Zikhali on the day of her disappearance,” Mahanjana said.

“The footage was circulated on social media, and when Zikhali discovered the existence of the footage, it is alleged that he fled to Boksburg. He was arrested (on Friday) at a petrol station after a petrol attendant pointed him out to the police, who were at the filling station.”

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