Latest news with #Jayden-LeeMeek
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Activists protest outside Parliament, demand justice for murdered child, 11
Jayden-Lee Meek was murdered outside his home after failing to come home on 12 May 2025. Image: Supplied At their own expense, a Johannesburg-based women's rights organisation has travelled to Cape Town to picket outside Parliament in a desperate bid to force the police to take decisive action in the brutal murder case of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek. The Women Empowerment Platform (WEP), led by founder Natalie Solomons, joined local activists and community leaders in calling for justice after Jayden-Lee's body was found just metres from his home in Fleurhof, Roodepoort. The organisation is urging Parliament and the Portfolio Committee on Police to prioritise the case and ensure that an arrest is made. 'We got involved in the Jayden case because it's a child who was murdered in the very community we serve,' said Solomons. 'I still can't get the picture of how he was found that morning out of my head. It was a very evil sight to see – I don't know how somebody can do that to a little boy. I'm a mother. There's no way I could turn away from this. That's why we travelled from Johannesburg to Parliament. We want action. Someone needs to be held accountable.' Jayden-Lee went missing on Tuesday, 12 May 2025. He was last seen being dropped off by school transport at around 3.30 pm at the Swazi Court complex, where he lived. According to his mother, who works from home, Jayden never made it inside the flat. His body was discovered the following day, just two metres from their doorstep. He was rushed to Discovery Hospital, where he was declared dead. Anti-gender based activists picketing outside parliament demanding justice for slain Jayden-Lee Meek Image: Supplied According to witnesses, his body was still warm when found, indicating he may have died shortly before being discovered. What followed has sparked outrage. Community members say police and forensic teams only arrived after residents had already begun searching for Jayden's school clothes and bag. According to community members, the crime scene was neither secured nor barricaded, and no arrests have been made more than two weeks after his death. Community activist Althea Cluff, among the first to raise the alarm, said she fears the case will simply fade away. 'We are afraid this case will be buried like so many others — that it will become another cold case.' Solomons and Cluff were livestreaming from the scene on TikTok the day Jayden's body was found, demanding urgent action from authorities. The Women Empowerment Platform, established in 2020, runs a children's home called Legacy Children's Home and a gender-based violence (GBV) facility in Northcliff, Johannesburg. The organisation currently houses over 10 children rescued from abusive environments. 'We see these horrors daily,' said Solomons. 'One of the girls we're housing now is 11, the same age as Jayden, and she was raped (and sodomised). But Jayden's case hit differently. That picture of his body lying there... As a mother, I just couldn't turn away.' Following pressure from activists, a meeting was held on 27 May at Parliament with MP Dereleen James. The delegation submitted a formal request for a sitting with the Portfolio Committee on Police and was granted permission to hold a peaceful picket. The case has since drawn national attention, with South Africans from multiple provinces donating to support the efforts of the self-funded group. But what the activists want most, is justice. 'We are not going anywhere until there is justice,' said Cluff. 'Jayden deserves that. All our children do.' The community continues to call on SAPS, the Ministry of Police, and Parliament to ensure that the investigation proceeds swiftly, transparently, and with the urgency it deserves. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, confirmed that the committee had unanimously supported the call for a dedicated meeting to address Jayden-Lee's death and the broader policing challenges it exposes. 'This follows a formal request sent to me yesterday by committee member Dereleen James MP,' said Cameron. 'We will ensure that the necessary accountability mechanisms are activated without delay. South Africa's children deserve better, and we will act accordingly.' [email protected]
The South African
17-05-2025
- The South African
Fleurhof residents march for justice: 'What did our children do?'
The Fleurhof community in southern Johannesburg is filled with anger and grief as they demand justice for 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek. The community marched to the Florida police station, demanding answers and urgent action, following the disappearance of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek, who was dropped off by school transport on Tuesday afternoon but never arrived home. The little boy's body was found on Wednesday, undressed and with multiple bruises, on the staircase of the complex where he lived, several hours after he had gone missing. Locals told SABC News that the boy would still be alive if they had thoroughly searched the complex. Mokgadi Ramasodi, one of the locals, said to eNCA that she has gone through a similar experience as Jayden's mom, and that is why she joined the march to the police station. 'What did our children do to deserve this? As adults, what gives us the right to attack these children? South Africa, what is wrong with us? We need to change and learn to protect our children because this is too much.' Ramasodi said she lost her daughter about 13 years ago, but the wound still feels fresh. 'When I come across such an incident, because it happens every day, it brings back all those memories I am trying to overcome, but how? My daughter was brutally murdered in front of us. She was stabbed, but luckily justice was served; the perpetrator was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in jail.' She said she hopes Jayden's mom will also receive the same justice so that she can get closure alongside her family. Gauteng Police Spokesperson Mavela Masondo says a case of murder has been opened. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- IOL News
Police launch investigation into the murder of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek
Jayden-Lee Meek, 11, was returning home from school when he disappeared from inside his apartment complex. Image: Supplied Gauteng police are hunting for suspects following the brutal murder of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek whose body was found just metres from his home. Jayden-Lee from Fleurhof on the West Rand of Johannesburg, was dropped off by his school transport at the complex where he lives. According to his mother, who works from home, her son never made it home. Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said Jayden-Lee's mother panicked when her son did not enter through the door. 'The mother called neighbours, and they started searching. They notified community leaders, and at 6:40pm, they went to the police station. Our members responded and started searching alongside community members. Early in the morning, a resident walking out of her flat at about 6.25am saw the child not lying far from the flat where he resided,' Masondo said. The young boy's body was found on the steps of the second-floor. According to reports, his body was still warm and clean. He had no blood on him, but visible abrasions could be seen, indicating a possible assault. When relatives were notified, Jayden-Lee was rushed to hospital, however, he was declared dead on arrival. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The missing poster that was shared following the youngster's disappearance Image: Supplied Police have urged the community to await the post-mortem report to get a definite cause of death. 'For now, we have opened an inquest. We have started with our investigation at our provincial offices, and we have assembled a team of seasoned detectives who will be taking over the investigation. As for now, we do not have any suspects,' Masondo said. Masondo also emphasised that while the open investigation may only be an inquest at this stage, it could be changed to a murder docket as the investigation unravels. 'Once we have enough evidence that the child was murdered, we will change the investigation into a murder docket,' Masondo said. Lack of police assistance Family members speaking to the media said they have struggled to get police to take this matter seriously and claimed the crime scene, where Jayden-Lee's body was found, was not cordoned off and was contaminated with people walking around. 'The police don't want to search the units. They don't want to go door to door to check if there is evidence in one of the units. We have been fighting with them. They brought the K9 unit, they only went twice. We had to go ask for information, they don't tell the family,' a relative said. The family urged police to make an arrest and believed he could have been saved if police had searched on Tuesday night. Illitha Labantu, a social service and education organisation that focuses on addressing violence against women and children, has condemned this incident in the strongest terms. 'Ilitha Labantu expresses its deep sorrow and outrage at the tragic death of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek. As an organisation that has championed the rights and dignity of women and children for over 36 years, we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the horrifying loss of yet another young life to senseless violence,' spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said. 'This incident is not just a singular tragedy, it is a sobering reflection of the broader failure of our society to protect its children. The fact that a child could go missing in his own community, only to be later found dead within the very space meant to offer shelter and security, is deeply troubling. It begs urgent questions about community safety, the responsiveness of law enforcement, and the societal structures meant to safeguard children from harm,' Monakali said. He said the anger expressed by Fleurhod residents was understandable and justified. 'Too often, communities are left to grapple with the aftermath of violence on their own, while the systemic failures that allow such tragedies to occur remain unaddressed. It is unacceptable that children continue to fall victim to violence in environments where they should be protected, nurtured, and allowed to thrive,' Monakali added. IOL Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
