Tazne's memory fuels the fight for justice reform after the death of her murderer
The murder of Tazne van Wyk, 8, in 2020 by Moyhdian Pangaeker sparked national outrage and exposed critical failures in South Africa's criminal justice system. Her legacy continues to fuel demands for victim-centred reforms even after her killer died in prison.
Image: Supplied
In the aftermath of Moyhdian Pangaeker's death, a convicted child rapist and murderer, anti-gender-based violence organisations are urging that the memories of his victims be preserved.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirmed this week that Pangaeker passed away in his sleep while serving nine life sentences at the Brandvlei Maximum Centre, with officials discovering his body on November 18.
Reacting to the news of his death, Ilitha Labantu spokesperson, Siyabulela Monakali, said while they acknowledged his death, their primary concern remains with the Van Wyk family, who continue to endure profound and unresolved trauma.
The family spoke to Cape Argus on Tuesday and said his actions destroyed their lives due to the negligence of the State after he was released on parole, and that justice would never be served for their daughter.
The death of child rapist murderer Moyhdian Pangaerker in prison has ignited renewed calls for justice system reform in South Africa.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Monakali called for reform of the criminal justice system.
“(The family's) response to this news, that justice has never been served, speaks to a fundamental truth that extends far beyond one man's death. It speaks to the systemic failures that enabled Pangaeker's crimes and the institutional neglect that has compounded the family's suffering in the years since Tazne's murder.”
Monakali said Pangaeker's case epitomised the criminal justice system's failure.
Sentenced to 10 years in 2008 for child molestation, kidnapping, and culpable homicide, he was inexplicably granted parole twice — in 2013 and 2016 — despite absconding both times.
Between 2016 and 2019, as an absconded parolee, he committed multiple sexual assaults, including against his own daughter.
The system's ultimate failure came in February 2020, when he murdered Tazne while still evading parole supervision.
Eight-year-old Tazne had been lured by the preying Pangkaeker from her parents’ home in Connaught Estate on February 7, 2020.
Her lifeless and desecrated corpse, with her left hand sawn off, was found in a stormwater pipe near Worcester on the N1 after Pangaerker had led police to the site.
“These are not isolated oversights… Every decision to grant parole, every failure to immediately arrest an absconder, every lapse in supervision created the conditions for further violence. Ilitha Labantu calls on the Department of Correctional Services to establish and implement a formal, mandatory victim notification system for all significant case developments, including offender deaths, parole hearings, and releases.
“As we approach the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, we must confront the uncomfortable truth that our justice system continues to fail those it is meant to protect. Tazne's case is not an anomaly; it is a warning. Without accountability, without reform, and without genuine commitment to victim-centred justice, we will continue to fail our children and their families,” said Monakali.
Don't Look Away is Independent Media's official campaign for 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
Image: File
Activist and founder of Philisa Abafazi Bethu, Lucinda Evans, said she was “glad he died”.
“Now the family can finally start their real journey of healing. He is never to be seen again, felt again, or spoken about again. Her parents can now begin to live in peace.”
Evans highlighted that the family no longer has to live with the anticipatory fear that he could be released on parole again.
“This is something we need to address. Apart from GBV being a national disaster, we should not have things like concurrent sentences. We should have individual sentences happening where if you are handed more than one life sentence, you serve your first 25 years before you serve your other 25 years,” said Evans.
She added that the memory of murdered GBV victims should not die and said their faces are a reminder that transformation against the surge of violence against women and children is still not happening.
“Tazne’s face, just like Renee Roman’s face, just like Courtney Pieters’s face… these memories of these children will not die just because their perpetrator died,” said Evans.
During the trial, in their victim impact reports, Tazne’s parents, Carmen van Wyk and Terence Manuel, said: “Her memory is still alive as we speak about her daily… Her death has ripped holes in our hearts. We will always love her and never forget her, and we will cling to the beautiful memories.”
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