Until recently not many people had heard of Klawer, a tiny town on the banks of the Oliphants River. Fewer than 7 000 people live in the blinkandyoumissit settlement on the way to Vredendal in the Western Cape.
But shocking recent events have put Klawer on the map. The horrific death of a child, claims of occultism, a community in uproar, angry scenes outside court – all this has dominated headlines and torn the town apart.
At the centre is a mother’s heartbreak. Triesavan Wyk, too distraught to speak to the media, is being shielded by the community as she grapples with her grief.
She isn’t in Klawer when YOU visits the town – she’s in Cape Town to have DNA tests done as part of the police investigation to confirm the human remains found in a sewerage pipe belong to her 13 year old son, Jerobejin.
“She’s absolutely heartbroken,” says Mathilda Bains, a leader in the community and Triesa’s spokesperson. “She’s absolutely broken. Shattered. She’s fragile and griefstricken.”
This isn’t the first child single mom Triesa has lost. Her older son, Adronel, drowned in 2010 aged five and she isn’t coping, those close to her say. She has only one child left now, a younger girl.
This story is from the 24 February 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
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This story is from the 24 February 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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