Justice for Emaan: Cape Town Mayor calls for maximum sentence, welcomes guilty verdict

10 February 2025

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined the family of Emaan Solomons at the Western Cape High Court this morning, and welcomed the guilty verdict handed down by the court. The seven year-old was gunned down in gang crossfire while playing in her street in Ocean View in February 2020. Five years later, the alleged killers and gang members have finally been found guilty of Emaan’s tragic murder, the attempted murder of four others, as well as possession of illegal firearms.

‘I was relieved to witness the High Court deliver a guilty verdict in the trial of the gangsters responsible for the brutal killing of little Emaan. No amount of jail time can bring back Emaan, but I hope this sends a message to those gangsters in Cape Town who show no respect for human life, let alone the lives of little children. I call on the court to impose the maximum possible sentence for these murderers. The City will make a submission motivating for the court to deliver a sentence that sends a strong message to gangsters. Their actions must be met with the harshest possible consequences at all times.

‘Most of all, I am thankful that this family are gaining some measure of justice for the loss of their little one. This remarkable family has somehow managed to stay warm-hearted and kind, despite this tragedy,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
 
Mayor Hill-Lewis said the City’s goal is to help the South African Police Service (SAPS) do much more, especially in the fight against gang, gun and drug crime.
 
‘It is families like Emaan’s who inspire us in our mission to make Cape Town safer, so that no family has to suffer this deep pain of loss in such a tragic way.

‘Our promise to the community of Ocean View and Emaan’s family is that our officers will keep working every day to take more illegal guns and drugs off our streets together with SAPS. We will also keep pushing for more policing powers so our officers can take their crime prevention role a step further and build prosecution-ready case dockets to gain convictions for gang, gun, and drug crime,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.

Caption: Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis together with family and friends of Emaan Solomons (7) at the Western Cape High Court on 10 February.
 

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office