Tazne van Wyk: Several child witnesses to testify about sexual offences by murder accused

Mohydian Pangkaeker to appear in the Western Cape High Court for the murder of Tazne Van Wyk. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / African News Agency (ANA)

Mohydian Pangkaeker to appear in the Western Cape High Court for the murder of Tazne Van Wyk. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / African News Agency (ANA)

Published May 20, 2022

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Cape Town - The twin sister of Mohydian Pangkaeker on Thursday testified in the Western Cape High Court where he is on trial for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 8-year-old Tazne Van Wyk and an array of charges for alleged sexual offences against several minor children.

Pangkaeker is charged with 27 counts of murder, kidnapping, rape, incest, sexual assault, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual grooming of a child, desecration of a corpse and absconding from community corrections.

While being questioned by advocate Lenro Badenhorst, Nazli Pangkaeker, 56, said that she spoke to her brother the Sunday after Tazne went missing, during which he denied that he had taken the little girl.

She said when they spoke over the phone, she asked him about “the child” because she had been questioned about Tazne’s disappearance.

“I asked him if he had the child, he replied ‘no’, then I told him to bring the child and he asked do you also not believe me that I don’t have the child,” she said.

The telephonic conversation between the two was played in court and handed in as evidence. In the recording Nazli enquired from her brother about the allegations levelled against him after he had been spotted with Tazne at Parow Station.

In it she tells him that the community are in an uproar over Tazne’s disappearance and insists that he share his location – “They saw you at Parow station, walking with the child” – but Pangkaeker is not swayed and continue’s to deny the allegations, calling it “nonsense”.

She further warns Pangkaeker, saying: “I don’t want these people to hurt you … If you are innocent why are you scared to say where you are?” In a last plea, she says, “you know the bond that we have”, but Pangkaeker does not budge.

Nazli then confirmed that she was advised by an official to speak to him while he was detained, where he further denied that he killed Tazne.

“He said he did not kill the child because he got a lift from the taxi, I think he said they assaulted him, the two men in the taxi. He said it was Africans and that he heard the child screaming and then we couldn’t speak anymore,” she said.

During cross-examination by Pangkaeker’s lawyer, advocate Saleem Halday, Nazli said her brother made mention of muti because Tazne’s hand had been cut off when her body was found.

The media were not allowed to be present for the next witness, a minor at the time of the alleged indecent assault. The State intends to call 90 witnesses to prove its case. Several were minors at the time of the offences.

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Cape Argus