Courtney’s family spokesperson slams Zuma’s ‘blatant lying’ at imbizo

A fuming Pascoe said Zuma’s comments, who told residents in a packed hall the Pieters family had received “great service”, is a slap in the face of the family.

“How can he go and say that when we told him exactly what the challenges were. My colleague made video recordings of the visits to the station with Juanita.”

Complaints by the Mitchells Plain Crisis Forum and the Manenberg Crisis Forum, who led and assisted neighbourhood watches during the search for the missing girl, included the request for sniffer dogs to search the home where Juanita lives with 14 other people, on two occasions. This was not granted.

Juanita previously told the Cape Times: “Police don’t share an information with me. They come to ask me if I don’t have any information. I am just as in the dark as everybody else.”

Courtney’s body was found nine days after she was reported missing in Bofors Circle, Epping Industria.

Mortimer Saunders, who is accused of murdering and raping the girl, was a tenant where Courtney lived and is a childhood friend of her father, Aaaron Fourie.

He will make his third court appearance in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on August 24.

Zuma, during his address in the Adriaanse Community Centre, said he “believed there was a lot of exaggeration” over Courtney’s case.

“I spoke to the family and Juanita told me she was happy with the service of the police. The police are doing their best, but they need the support of the community.”

He acknowledged the complaints received “ïn the manner the police conducted the investigation of Courtney”.

“It is difficult to police crime that happens in the streets and it is even harder to police crime committed in homes.”

Zuma urged communities to assist police to curb crime.

Juanita did not want to comment following the statements made by Zuma.

“Pascoe was appointed our spokesperson. People are humiliating me because of incorrect reporting.”