Another parolee to appear in court after death of Tulbagh boy, 8

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Cape Town – Another parolee has been arrested in connection with the murder of a child. In this case, the body of 8-year-old Reagan Gertse was found in the bushes of a riverbank in Tulbagh in the Cape Winelands at the weekend. Reagan’s body was discovered on Sunday morning after his family reported him missing and the community launched a search. The suspect, Jacobus Pistoors, 53, had been out on parole for four months and was living with Reagan’s stepfather, Ricardo Davids’ parents, two shacks away. He will appear in court today. Correctional Services provincial Commissioner Delekile Klaas on Monday confirmed that Jacobus was serving a 12-year sentence for the rape of a 5-year-old boy and was out on parole, which has since been revoked.

Residents said Pistoors, who was also the brother of Reagan’s step-grandfather, was like family to the child.

Davids’ mother, Maria said: “Kobus was sentenced to jail for raping a 5-year-old boy in Paarl where he was doing general farm work at the time.

"He had done seven years when they asked if someone could sign for him to do the rest of his sentence outside prison because he was sickly. He had many ailments, including high blood pressure and asthma.

“He is a very quiet man, he doesn't drink or smoke. He was even so peaceful on Saturday and he knows Reagan.”

Recalling the events of the weekend, Maria said the family first became worried after Reagan did not come home when it became dark.

“His mother came and left the baby with me because she said she was going out to look for Reagan. He knows he is supposed to come home when it gets dark and it was already past 9pm.

"After looking for a while, another boy said he last saw Reagan with Uncle Kobus.

“We confronted Kobus but he denied it, saying he last saw the child in the afternoon. There was nothing more to do that night, so the next morning Reagan’s mom called the police and we called the child who last saw Reagan to our house.

"The child then told Kobus to his face, ‘I saw you with Reagan’, but he still denied it. He even denied it to the police but they said they would have to take him in so long,” said Maria.

“Reagan’s parents went with police to look for him and my son was the one who found him. He still has not been able to talk about it. He did not even want to come home.”

Maria said the family was in turmoil as her husband blamed himself for signing for Pistoors to live with them.

“We are still in shock. We can’t even sleep. Every time we close our eyes we see Reagan’s face,” she said.

Maria said residents would have burned their shack, were it not for the intervention of neighbours who, explained that Pistoors had only been living there for a short while and the incident did not take place there.

Provincial NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabaliza said the suspect would appear in the Tulbagh Magistrate’s Court today.

Marvin Minnaar, accused of murdering 12-year-old Sibusiso Dakuse, appeared for the first time in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Sibusiso’s body was found in reeds on Kronendal Farm in Hout Bay on Friday after he disappeared from his home two days before.

The case was postponed to March 17.

Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said: “We call for harsher sentences for perpetrators of violence against children.”

Last week, while visiting the parents of slain 8-year-old Tazne van Wyk, also allegedly killed by a parolee, President Cyril Ramaphosa said more needed to be done regarding the flawed parole system.

Cape Times