Taxi drivers give a hand

Two Cape Town taxi drivers believe that they can help protect women and children by being the eyes and ears of the community while they trawl the carriageways for business.

Standing outside the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Toneil Pretorius and Nigel Snell held a large banner with a photograph of raped and murdered 3-year-old Courtney Pieters on it.

The two chipped in R4 000 with from a whip-round of fellow taxi drivers to help transport mourners to her funeral tomorrow (Sat) – feeling it was the least they could do for the community that always supports their business.

‘’We see more than other people see,’’ said Snell.

‘’If we could just be more vigilant when we are at the robots waiting for them to change instead of just staring into space, we could really help.’’

‘’We should be more aware and we should encourage each other to report anything unusual to the police. We could get help for people if we see something,’’ said Snell, who said he was very upset by Courtney’s death.

Snell and Pretorius ply the Parow-Bellville routes and were among hundreds of people at the court carrying hand-made and professionally printed posters in memory of the little girl who was found buried in a shallow grave in Epping Industria on Saturday, May 13.

She disappeared on May 4, and a massive search was mounted by the community in the hope that she would be found alive.

Her parents Juanita Pieters and Aaron Fourie’s hopes were shattered when her body was found and their lodger Mortimer Saunders was arrested.

Saunders made a brief appearance in the court and went back into custody.

The case was postponed to August 24. -News24