Child rape condemned by provincial commissioner
The suspect appeared in the KaBokweni Magistrate’s Court.
The provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma, recently condemned the rape of a child near Hazyview.
He said that sexual offences are a thorn in the flesh which rob victims of their dignity. He added that those responsible should be removed from society and be subjected to lengthy sentences.
This plea of the general spiralled from a recent incident in which a 12-year-old girl was raped by a 33-year- old man in Mgcobaneni near Hazyview.
Two children who noticed the suspect dragging the crying victim to a dump ran to a nearby security guard at a local supermarket. He went to investigate and found the suspect half naked, molesting the minor.
Police were summoned to the scene and the suspect was arrested.
He appeared in the KaBokweni Magistrate’s Court on May 14, where he was ordered to remain in custody until a formal bail application later.
• A 52-year-old man who raped his daughter (17) last year was given a life sentence. “As much as fighting crime against women and children is a priority to the SAPS, it is also the responsibility of the community to join the police in their quest to create an environment that is safe and secure for these vulnerable groups,” urged Zuma.
