The family of little Emaan Solomons says that they can now take time to properly grieve her death. She was caught in gang crossfire in February 2020.

Her grandfather, Sharief Oosthuizen, was speaking to Radio 786 after the two gangsters found guilty of her murder were sentenced to 35 years in prison each, without the chance of parole. During the trial, the state advocate led evidence that on the afternoon of February 25, Emaan, her friends, and several adults ran in different directions to avoid being struck by the gunshots fired by the gangsters.

Emaan made it into her home’s yard but collapsed in the front garden, a few metres from the front door. Her mother found her lying wounded with a bullet on her back, which went out through her chest. She also had a wound in her left hand. She was rushed to a local hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, has welcomed the high court deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. On February 11 this year, the court convicted Eben Basson and Chivargo Fredericks for Emaan’s murder, four counts of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

In her sentencing judgment, Judge Gayaat Da Silva Salie said gang shootings for drug and turf control amount to domestic terrorism in its most destructive form, shattering families, and robbing communities of peaceful life.

Meanwhile, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has welcomed the sentencing of the two gang members. The mayor praised the ruling as a strong warning to gangsters and expressed relief that Emaan’s family has seen justice.

He reaffirmed the City’s commitment to removing illegal guns and drugs alongside SAPS and pushing for stronger policing powers. Ocean View and other Cape Town wards will soon benefit from 700 additional municipal officers dedicated to neighborhood safety.