The home of Levi Isaacs in Camellia Street, Bonteheuwel.
A Bonteheuwel couple, charged with the murder of their 8-month-old baby, are due to appear in court again early next year.
The mother, 31, and father, 32, of Levi Isaacs were both arrested on Friday November 13 after the child was taken to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital the night before.
According to Bishop Lavis police spokesman, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, the hospital called police to say Levi had been declared brain-dead and the machines keeping him alive were going to be switched off.
The couple appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court on Monday November 16 on murder charges and the case was postponed to January 22 next year.
The mother remains in custody in Pollsmoor Prison and the father is in Goodwood Prison.
Dwayne Evans, the spokesman for Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, said the baby had already been brain-dead on arrival at the hospital.
He declined to answer further questions.
Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie said the couple’s neighbours had told him the baby had been abused for months prior to his death and that the child had cigarette burns and blue marks on his body.
However,the Athlone News was unable to verify those claims.
Mr McKenzie said Levi’s death had shaken and disgusted the community.
“The community has just recovered from the brutal rape of the eight-month-old baby last year and the R5 rape story where the 58-year-old man paid the little girl R5 to rape her. Bonteheuwel has suffered enough. This case sickens me and I will fight for justice for that little defenceless baby. This is just sad,” he said.
Bishop Lavis Community Police Forum (CPF) chairman, Graham Lindhorst, said the community had failed Levi.
“As a community, we totally condemn the incident. We are upset and disturbed. Someone should have picked it up and alerted the authorities about it before it came to that. Justice needs to be served... someone must have heard or seen something and did not report it. The CPF will assist as best we can,” he said.