“Even if the accused were given 100 years that will never bring my daughter back,” declared the father of a seven-year old girl tragically killed in gang crossfire while playing outside her family home in Ocean View five years ago.
The family of the late Emaan Solomons can finally rest after the Western Cape High Court sentenced the perpetrators to 35 years imprisonment without parole for her murder as well as other charges on Friday 2 May.
Solomons had joined her playmates for a school ball game in a cul de sac (road that ends) outside her family home when caught in the crossfire on Tuesday 25 February 2020 (“Gangsters found guilty of murder in 7-year-old’s tragic death”, People’s Post, 18 February.
On Monday 10 February this year the Western Cape High Court found Eben Basson and Chivargo Fredericks guilty of murder and four counts of attempted murder as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The accused stood trial on multiple charges, including murder, four counts of attempted murder, the discharge of a firearm in a public place, possession of an unlicensed firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and aiding and abetting of criminal-gang activity.
People’s Post spoke with Emaan’s father, Azmir Ridauw-Oosthuizen, who said the family was finally breathing a sigh of relief after waiting five years for the court to deliver their sentencing of the perpetrators.
“This has been a long, painful five years of our lives. We have been at court countless times. It went from the court postponing Emaan’s case for months on end. I can’t say that the accused being sentenced is a victory as no amount of years given to them will ever bring back my beloved daughter Emaan.”
In her sentencing Judge Gayaat Salie da Silva said gang shootings for drug and turf control amount to domestic terrorism in its most destructive form, shattering families and robbing communities of peaceful life in residential areas and hope for a better life, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
Ridauw-Oosthuizen said gang violence still plagued the Ocean View community.
“Gangsterism has always been an issue in our community. It’s also sad that the community and police services had to wait for my daughter’s life to be taken from us to show their presence and be visible in our area. I can’t say what more needs to be done to tackle this criminality, but all I can say is Alhamdulillah (‘Thanks be to God’) justice has been served for my beloved daughter Emaan. Now it’s time for me and my family to start healing after all this pain.”
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed the Western Cape High Court sentencing and promised a stronger police presence in the Ocean View community to curb gang violence.
“I welcome the 35-year sentences without parole for the gangsters responsible for the brutal killing of little Emaan. The court has sent a warning to gangsters that jail without parole awaits those who terrorise our communities.
“We reaffirm our promise to the Solomon family and the Ocean View community that our officers will keep working every day to take more illegal guns and drugs off our streets, together with the police.
“We will also keep pushing for more policing powers so our officers can take their crime-prevention role a step further and build prosecution-ready case dockets to gain convictions for gang, gun, and drug crime.”
He said Ocean View and every ward in the metro will soon benefit from a new deployment of an additional 700 municipal police officers. They will be allocated to each ward as dedicated neighbourhood-safety resources in addition to the City’s existing policing deployments around Cape Town.
Said Emaan’s father: “What hurts the most is that potential was stolen from my daughter. Emaan’s dream was to be a beautician. Emaan was a sister, she was a granddaughter, she could have been a mother as well. She was robbed of her matric ball, even something as small as finishing school was stolen from her, so yes, I would never say it’s a victory.”
He also commended the police’s Anti-gang Unit for the part it played in his daughter’s murder case.
People’s Post reached out to Ocean View Police Station for comment, but it could not respond before the time of publication.
