WATCH | Religious tributes for dead boy believed to missing Miguel

About a 100 people including religious leaders and police prayed for the family of a boy whose decomposing body - believed to be that of missing Sydenham boy Miguel Louw who was last seen on July 17 - was found in a Phoenix park on Monday.

eThekwini deputy mayor Fawzia Peer has called for calm within the Phoenix community following the discovery of the body. Peer was addressing community members during a community prayer‚ organised by the Phoenix religious leader forum‚ on Thursday near the site where the body had been discovered by authorities

“I urge the community to exercise caution (and) restraint as this case has been prioritised by our authorities‚ or I would say the case in question at the moment‚” said Peer.

“In this difficult time and this hour of consolation‚ it is best that our thoughts be with the bereaved family of the child that was found right here‚ let us keep them in our soulful prayers and that there is swift justice to bring closure as a way of healing for the grieving family.”

The decomposing body of the boy was discovered on Monday by police and a security company while chasing a suspect through a bushy patch after a tracker dog led them to the grisly find.

Phoenix station commander Brigadier Bafana Ndlovu said: “Yes the police are the primary role players in the fight against crime‚ but there is no way we can win the battle against crime without the cooperation of the community. We are parents ourselves‚ we are community members ourselves and when things like these happen it affects us.”

Pastor Mervyn Reddy‚ of the Phoenix religious leader forum‚ said: “We need to bring these heinous crimes against children to an end. When will we be able to allow our children to walk to school safely without having a thought of them being harmed‚ abducted and abused?”

Peer also said that government was doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of children within communities.