A Hanover Park mother whose 16-year-old son died after being stabbed in the chest, has vowed to do everything in her might to get justice.
Sadia Kellerman’s son, Usaid Petersen, was stabbed during a mass boeka event at the Hanover Park terminus on Saturday May 25. He died in hospital on Wednesday May 29. Their frustration with the investigation led the family to start the #JusticeForUsaid campaign.
Ms Kellerman said after her son’s funeral, she and a group of friends went to the Philippi police station daily for three weeks, to get answers about the development of the investigation.
“Every time I saw someone else, and I felt I didn’t get any help. My friends and I did a lot of investigation, but we were so frustrated that they did not even seem to follow up on the leads we provided. It was only after my visit to Cape Town SAPS, that things started to change and development into the case was made,” Ms Kellerman said.
A 17-year-old has since been arrested and released into his parents’ custody. On Wednesday August 28, the 17-year-old, who cannot be named as he is a minor, was due to appear in court, in-camera. Outside court, family and friends picketed with placards, calling for justice to prevail.
“We are not only doing this for Usaid, but how many others have to go through this same thing? My whole household is broken. Things are not the same,” Ms Kellerman said.
Her cousin, Richard Juries, said: “With this campaign and our peaceful protest, we want to fuel a fair trial to insure justice for our child, in the hopes that this will bring awareness and justice for all those who have lost children by the hand of another, in this awful crime-ridden generation our children are forced to endure.”
Lezaun Zeeman, 16, a classmate of Usaid, said he was “a very happy person”.
“He always had a smile on his face. There was never a day I saw him sad. He also made others happy.”
Jordan Jackson, 16, said Usaid was always nice, and recalled a day where he did not have anything to eat, and Usaid bought him food. Another friend, Ebrahim Williams, 16, said he was broken without him.
Athlone News contacted Philippi police for a response to Ms Kellerman’s claims but by the time this edition went to print they had not yet responded.