Morero calls for Joburg residents to ensure the safety of children
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has called on the residents of the city to play their role in ensuring the safety of children.
This call came after the death of 6-year-old Amantle Samane.
Young Samane was raped and killed in a rented room in Soweto last Monday.
A suspected 24-year-old Mozambican national has since been arrested for the alleged crime.
Speaking at the funeral service of Samane on Thursday, Morero highlighted the psychological impact of violence on children.
"The city of Johannesburg has in the last month experienced a very difficult situation with children who have been dying or killed and that in its own demonstrates that we've got so much work to do. We have worked to ensure that we make Johannesburg a safer place, a livable place, a safer place for children to grow up.
"What is more painful is the kids that went to school with her, that they have to live through this difficulty, especially in the way in which this child died, in the way in which she was killed, and the teachers should constantly try to counsel and comfort those children.
"We are asking everyone in communities today (Thursday) that let's work together to protect our community and ensure that our children can grow up in a much safer place. Therefore, as a government, we believe we have got so much work to do with our communities and fighting the scourge of GBV in this country and in our city. I hope that Amantle will find peace and her soul will rest in peace."
Morero added that work is underway to deal with the issue of spaza shops in the city.
"There are programs that the city of Johannesburg is committing itself to. Among others is the issue of dealing with spaza shops, is the issue of ensuring visible policing in our communities by deploying JMPD 10 plus in all our wards with a clear mission of ensuring that we can protect our communities.
"And we share the pain as we said when we visited the family on Saturday, and, indeed, we share the pain of your loss and the loss of the entire people of Johannesburg. Let me just take a few seconds and describe what the writers of this eulogy describe Amantle.
"It says in the obituary, Amantle was a shy yet curious soul always eager to explore the world around her. Now it means this is a happy child. For those of us who don't know her, the obituary already helps us to understand the type of child she was,” Morero said.
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