Thousands of mourners turned out for the funeral of 5-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane, who was shot when he ran out of his home to greet his father on May 10 during the hijacking of his father’s vehicle in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
A funeral fit for a young prince and one dedicated to the memory of victims of crime in the area is how some described Ditebogo's funeral.
The incident happened at Soshanguve block UU in an area where crime has spiralled out of control. Many people have asked why the 5-year-old boy was shot as he was no threat to the criminals.
Ditebogo’s death follows close on the heels of DJ Peter ‘Mashata’ Mabuse, who died in a hail of bullets as he drove away from the Epozini Lifestyle event in Soshanguve on April 21. The incident also sparked a nationwide outcry that the area was over-run by a trigger-happy criminals.
Soshanguve, a township known for its vibe and for producing many of South Africa’s entertainers, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The year started with news of the fatal shooting on New Year’s Day of four people, including a teenage girl and her police officer uncle, in an ambush at their home.
Early last year, legendary DJ Vusi Ma R5 died in a hail of bullets in Soshanguve, while amapiano musician and businessman DJ Sumbody was killed in November 2022 by gunmen as he left a club after performing, with many saying his death was due to his success in Soshanguve.
Two people have been arrested for the killing of Ditebogo, and the police said the net was closing in on a third suspect, after a week in which members of political parties, Gauteng government officials, and the police visited his family home and the area. Meanwhile, the police have deployed a SAPS Stabilisation Team to strengthen policing in the townships impacted by violent crime.
When he visited the area, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the stabilisation team would consist of officers from Crime Intelligence, detectives, the Flying Squad, K9, Rapid Response Teams, coupled with private security and community policing forums, to be supported by specialised units of the SAPS such as the Tactical Response Team, National Intervention Unit and Public Order Policing, as well as drone units.
“The SAPS Stabilisation Team, which will be supported by over 60 operational vehicles, will be deployed for three months ... Its progress and effectiveness will be evaluated weekly, where the team’s deployment will be adjusted accordingly guided by crime pattern analysis,” the SAPS said.
Cele assured Ditebogo’s family that the murder investigation remained a priority for the police.
