Fifty-five children have been murdered in the Western Cape since the start of the year, and authorities are calling for the perpetrators to be brought to book and for youth to be protected.
These are children under the age of 19 years old who have either been stabbed, shot or suffered another form of unnatural death.
The figures, from the provincial Forensic Pathology Department, come days after two children aged nine and 10 were killed.
The most recent case was that of 10-year-old Denecke Presence, whose body was found in a marsh hours after she disappeared in Macassar.
Police have since opened an inquest docket and have yet to determine the cause of death and have taken in three people for questioning.
On March 11, Emmanuel Jordan, 10, was shot and killed in Heinz Park.
This follows the murder of a 17-year-old boy in Manenberg in February, while a five-year-old boy wounded in the same incident is recovering from his injuries.
Earlier this month, a three-year-old girl was also shot and killed in Mitchells Plain while in a vehicle with her parents.
Department of Health spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “Of the 55 deaths, 52 were in the age bracket of 15-19 years old, and three were between the ages of 1-4 years. Breakdown of the 52 deaths in the age group 15-19 years, sharp object 24, shot 19, other nine. Breakdown of the three deaths in the age group of 1-4 years, shot two, other one. These were all admissions due to an unnatural cause of death.”
MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagen Allen said he was deeply concerned by the large number of deaths and is calling for the arrest and the successful conviction of those involved.
“The unnatural deaths of any of our children across the Western Cape or the country for that matter is never welcomed. Reports of children losing their lives in this manner is heartbreaking.
“These are youngsters who had their entire lives ahead of them, and now due to the action of others, will not be able to realise their dreams.
“In the recent incident where the body of a young girl was found near a river in the Macassar area, I’ve been informed that suspects have been taken in for questioning. My hope is that there will be swift justice in this case.
“Although a post-mortem is still to be conducted to determine the cause of death, we cannot have the lifeless bodies of our young children being found in parks next to highways.
“The same goes for our children being caught in gang crossfires, either being killed or wounded. It is completely unacceptable. Those guilty of these crimes must be arrested and convicted.”
Ian Cameron of Action Society said that the safety of children in the Western Cape were at risk.
“We say that the drastic and horrific spike in child killings highlights that citizens are not safe,” he said.
“It also highlights that there is no political will to protect children.
“There is a political will to build a sustainable future for children because if their lives are worth so little, it means that not enough is being done.”
Allen said during the third quarter, crime statistics of the 2022/23 financial year, October 2022 - December 2022, showed a decreasing trend, with 10 (17,2%) fewer children murdered when compared to the same period of the previous year.
“I would like to see that this downward trend continues, and ultimately, not a single child should be harmed in any way,” he added.
“The onus is on us to protect our children.”