A 19-year-old foreign national accused of raping a 12-year-old girl abandoned his bail application during his appearance in Strand Magistrates’ Court last Friday (3 June).
The accused, a Malawian whose name is known to DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, was arrested after allegedly luring the victim from Richmond Street in Nomzamo into his shack used for making clothes and cutting hair. This apparently is where the incident took place on Wednesday 25 May.
Lwandle and Nomzamo residents picketed outside the court with placards aloft. They denounced the alleged rapist’s actions and called for life imprisonment.
The 27-year-old mother of the victim said she was “deeply hurt” by what happened to her daughter. She recalled last seeing her going out to play with friends on the day of the incident. Apparently the child had returned from the suspect’s shack and was trying to zip her jacket when called. After confrontation and investigation by the mother the child was taken to Lwandle Police Station, where a case was opened. The girl was also referred to a medical facility.
WO Joseph Swartbooi, provincial police spokesperson, said the Khayelitsha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit was probing two incidents in Lwandle in which two minors, aged two and 12 were alleged victims of rape. “We can confirm two men, aged 45 and 20, have been arrested and are detained,” he said. “Both suspects appeared before the Strand Magistrates’ Court on Friday on charges of rape.”
The case against the Malawian accused was postponed to 8 July.
