Johannesburg - Child killers should be handed heavy sentences by the judiciary, the ANC said on Thursday following the murder of a 10-year-old girl in Gugulethu, Cape Town.
"The ANC calls on our courts to impose heavy sentences to anyone found guilty of such killings," spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.
"While we welcome the swift action of the SA Police Service... we reiterate our call to all our communities to unite and take a stand against this scourge of violence against the most vulnerable."
The ANC said it was saddened by the killing and sent its condolences to the girl's family.
The girl's body was found under a bed in a house in Gugulethu on Tuesday.
She was reported missing a day earlier.
A post mortem was due to be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Three men have been arrested in connection with the murder and were expected to appear in court soon.