Gran: I blame myself
2009-07-02 11:37
Johannesburg - A 35-year-old father of two toddlers will appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday after he allegedly shot and killed a boy he believed was an intruder.
The boy's grandmother, Elizabeth Ramolefe, 56, told several newspapers in reports on Thursday that she blamed herself for the incident.
Ramolefe's grandson, Kgopotse, 11, had arrived in Parkmore, Sandton from Polokwane to visit his grandmother during the school holidays.
On Tuesday night, he started screaming, "Granny come quickly", and Ramolefe immediately ran to warn her employer, considering that there had been several break-ins at the house recently.
The employer took out his hunting rifle and, seeing a "head at the window" of the Zozo hut where Ramolefe lived, he fired a shot, hitting Kgopotse in the head.
He died about 30 minutes later, after the employer tried to perform CPR on him.
"I blame myself," Ramolefe told The Times newspaper.
"[The employer] was just trying to protect my grandson."
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, there was an attempted break-in at the Johannesburg house.
Neighbours also told The Times newspaper this family, where Ramolefe was the domestic worker, had been hit by "four or five" break-ins recently.
"People are nervous, The whole neighbourhood is on edge," said resident Clint Jones.
Jones' wife described the employer as a "family man" who was often seen "going for a walk with their two toddlers".
- SAPA