Sunday Star Times
February 4 2007

No plea, no emotion, from uncle of murdered girl
by Deidre Mussen

The uncle of dead Zimbabwean girl Charlene Makaza was unemotional when he appeared in court yesterday charged with her murder and sexual violation.

George Evans Gwaze, 54, was denied name suppression at Christchurch District Court and did not plead to the charge of murdering Charlene, 10, between January 5 and 7 and two charges of sexually violating her on or about January 6. He was remanded in custody to reappear in court on Wednesday.

A group of relatives were in court yesterday for his appearance, including his wife, Sifiso Gwaze, several of their children, and extended family. Gwaze, a short stocky man, glanced in their direction when he was brought into the dock but showed no emotion throughout the brief hearing.

The family declined to speak after his appearance.

Charlene and her sister lived with the Gwazes and their two cousins, Nothando, 20, and her 24-year-old brother, George, in their rented two- storey weatherboard home in suburban Christchurch. They were all home when Charlene's aunt found her in bed struggling to breathe on January 6. She was rushed to medical help but died in Christchurch Hospital the next morning. Police launched a homicide inquiry after an initial post-mortem showed she had been suffocated. It was later revealed she suffered serious injuries from a vicious sexual assault around the time of her death.

At her funeral two weeks ago, relatives said Charlene's parents died in Zimbabwe when she was very young and she and her sister had been raised by the Gwazes since she was seven months old. The sisters came to New Zealand more than a year ago to live with their aunt and uncle in Christchurch. Charmaine was taken into Child, Youth and Family care after her sister's death.