After more than a week since her fatal shooting in Athlone, the Forensic Pathologist Laboratory finally released the body of the teenage daughter belonging to a Cape Town family on Thursday afternoon.
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According to News24, Zamawushe Momoti, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at Belgravia High School, was leaving for home on Friday, 19 April, when gunfire erupted. Attempting to seek refuge back at the school, she was tragically shot multiple times in the face.
Police report the incident occurred amid a shootout between rival gangs, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old man identified as Marcelino Karool. Sources familiar with the investigation revealed that Karool, a known gangster in Athlone, had become a marked target due to his involvement with various gangs and sharing intelligence on rival groups’ activities.
Masero Momoti, the grieving father, expressed the agonising days preceding his daughter’s funeral.
‘Never have we faced the heartbreak of burying a child. The prolonged wait to lay my daughter to rest in the Eastern Cape has been excruciating,’ shared Momoti.
He highlighted the lack of communication regarding the delay, expressing concern upon learning from undertakers on Thursday morning that Zamawushe’s body had yet to be released.
‘The uncertainty was distressing, given the extensive preparations for her burial. Last weekend’s plans were thwarted due to this delay,’ he lamented.
Momoti reflected on the anguish felt by many families unable to pay their final respects in the Eastern Cape, remarking on the profound pain of losing a child to such violence.
‘The loss is indescribable. She had her entire life ahead of her,’ he mourned. ‘There are moments I wonder what might have been if she hadn’t turned back towards the school when the shots rang out. Perhaps she’d still be alive with us.’
Finally, the body was released to the family at 1pm on Thursday. Undertakers would transport her to KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere) in the Eastern Cape for her burial on Saturday.
Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness spokesperson Byron La Hoe confirmed the handover, acknowledging the family’s gratitude to forensic pathologists for their assistance.
Expressing deep concern, the Momoti family conveyed their distress over the absence of arrests linked to Zamawushe’s murder.
‘We’re deeply troubled by the lack of progress,’ stated Momoti. ‘We entrust the police to apprehend my child’s killers. Gangs show no regard for human life.’
Maintaining hope in justice, Momoti expressed faith that the perpetrators would be held accountable. ‘We anticipate updates upon our return from the Eastern Cape,’ he added.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg, spokesperson for the Western Cape police, confirmed that the Anti-Gang Unit had assumed responsibility for the case.
‘The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made,’ Twigg stated. He noted the potential gang-related nature of the incident, which remains under scrutiny.
During his visit to Browns Farm in Philippi on 24 April, Cape Town’s Mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis paid a visit to the Momoti family home as he spoke and comforted the family members.
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Picture: Theo Jeptha / Gallo Images