The cold reality of how cheaply a young boy’s life was taken and a family’s happiness destroyed was laid bare in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court this week.
Five-year-old Ditebogo Junior Phalane was gunn£d down outside his home in Soshanguve last May, moments before he could wrap his tiny arms around his father, who had just returned from work. The men who shot him d£ad fled the scene with his father’s bakkie – a vehicle valued at R600,000 – which they later sold for a mere R30,000.
This shocking detail was revealed during testimony by Sergeant Sevhasa Mashudu, the investigating officer in the case, as he opposed the bail application of one of the accused, Elia Maeko, who appeared in court for the third time on Wednesday.
The sale of the bakkie
Mashudu told the court that just one day after Junior’s murd£r, the gang that carried out the h!jacking set about disposing of the st0len vehicle.
“The value of the car at the time was R600,000 and it was sold for R30,000,” he testified. According to Mashudu, the canopy alone was stripped and sold separately along the R101 for R3,000, with Maeko himself alleged to have orchestrated that part of the sale.
Court proceedings revealed that accused number two, Ali Sithole (30), had made direct contact with a buyer in Mpumalanga. He allegedly travelled there on 12 May and returned with the buyer to Pretoria, where the bakkie was handed over for the cut-price sum. From there, the vehicle changed hands again, making recovery impossible.
The gang behind the k!lling
The investigating officer told the court that Maeko, Sithole, and co-accused Nido Gumbo (29) were part of a notorious gang known as the Task Team, which operated in areas spanning Soshanguve, Hammanskraal, and Rustenburg.
“This group is well-organised. Each member has his own speciality – from disabling tracking devices to arranging buyers,” Mashudu explained. “They conspired together, always armed, and knew exactly how to dispose of stolen vehicles.”
Mashudu further confirmed that two additional suspects remain at large, and police are still pursuing leads to bring them into custody.
A child’s life cut short
The Phalane family’s nightmare began on 10 May 2024, when Junior spotted his father pulling up outside their home in his bakkie. Excited to welcome him, the little boy ran towards the vehicle. In that very moment, armed men stormed the yard, firing shots that struck the child fatally.
The brazen hijacking shocked the nation and left South Africans reeling at the senselessness of the k!lling. Community members later tipped off police, leading to the swift arrest of Maeko within five days, followed by his alleged accomplices.
Bail bid and defence arguments
In his affidavit read to the court, Maeko painted himself as a family man unfairly targeted by circumstances. Through his lawyer, Thulani Kekana, he argued that he was not a flight risk and that his continued detention placed hardship on his family.
“I am a father to three minor children aged between six years and four months old. At the time of my arrest, my girlfriend was six months pregnant, and I have never met my youngest child who was born while I was in custody,” the affidavit read.
He also claimed to be the breadwinner for his family, supporting his 66-year-old mother who suffers from diabetes and hypertension. His mother submitted a supporting affidavit, confirming that her son used to provide food and ensure she attended medical check-ups.
Maeko insisted he worked as a taxi driver and ran a hair salon generating an income of R7,500 per month.
But the prosecution argued that his personal circumstances could not outweigh the severity of the charges against him. The state highlighted the violent nature of the crime, the strength of the evidence, and the public outrage it sparked.
The matter was postponed to 6 May, with the court expected to rule on the bail application then.
Family’s p@in laid bare
Outside the courthouse, Ditebogo Phalane Sr., still visibly shaken, thanked community members who had provided police with information that led to the arrests.
“We are grateful for the support and for everyone who made sure these suspects were found,” he said.
But listening to the investigation officer’s testimony had reopened old wounds. “It took us back to the trauma we went through, especially when he went into details. It took a huge toll on us as a family,” he admitted.
He also raised concerns about the safety of Sgt Mashudu and other officers still hunting the remaining suspects. “There are still two out there, and that worries us. We just want to see justice served for Junior.”
A community still scarred
The murd£r of Junior remains one of the most haunting crim£s to have struck Pretoria’s northern townships in recent years. Residents of Soshanguve described the little boy as playful and full of life. His d£ath not only robb£d a family of a child but also instilled fear among many who now feel unsafe even at their own front gates.
The broader issue of violent hijackings has also come under renewed scrutiny. Vehicle theft syndicates continue to target high-value cars, with stolen vehicles often quickly dismantled or smuggled across provincial or national borders.
What lies ahead
As the legal process grinds forward, the Phalane family is left to confront each p@inful detail relived in court. For them, no price – not R600,000, and certainly not R30,000 – can ever measure up to the life of their son.
The community’s demand is clear: accountability for those who carried out the crime and those who still remain in hiding.
For now, all eyes turn to 6 May, when the court will again sit to determine whether Maeko should remain behind bars as the trial edges closer.
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