Gauteng community safety MEC Firoz Cachalia urged Eldorado Park residents to stay calm on Friday and let police investigate the disappearance of a six-year-old girl who was later found murdered.
He made his appeal in response to their outrage at the police’s alleged tardiness in handling the case.
Ghairoenisha Lee Ganchi went missing from a neighbour’s home in Eldorado Park in southern Johannesburg late on Thursday afternoon.
Her body was found on a hill a kilometre from her home at 6am on Friday morning, after an all-night search by the police, emergency services and the community.
”I personally supervised the investigation at the crime scene and I am satisfied. It was professionally and thoroughly conducted,” Gauteng police commissioner Perumal Naidoo said in a statement issued on Friday afternoon.
”With the co-operation and assistance of the community, I sincerely hope for a speedy finalisation of this case.”
Expressing his condolences to the Ganchi family, Naidoo said he was saddened and outraged at the murder.
He said at this stage, the identity of the killer was not known.
However, various leads were being followed, he said, appealing to anyone able to assist the police with information about the incident to come forward. – Sapa