Oupa Mofulatsi, a businessman and a concerned parent, says he was distressed when he read the sad story in last week’s Herald about the 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by two men on her way home from school.
The Herald reported that the two men took turns in raping her in Sonderwater before fleeing with her school shoes.
Mofulatsi says he has not heard anyone talking about the incident or doing anything about it so he decided he was going to make a difference.
Not only did he buy the victim a new pair of school shoes, he also bought her a school tracksuit and socks and toiletries with a R500 donation from Dr Tshepo Dichabe.
His wife, who is a nurse at Potchefstroom Hospital, advised him on how best to assist the girl.
‘I am a Potchefstroom citizen and, as a concerned parent, I want to say it is high time that fathers and men stand up to protect our girls. I don’t want to bring politics into it but, as fathers, we should assist our girls. To be honest, I love children,’ he said.
Although he stays in town and the incident happened in Ikageng, he says it also affects him as a parent.
Const. Kelebogile Trom, Ikageng SAPS spokesperson, says the victim was grateful for what Mofulatsi did and although she will never forget the horrible incident, she plans to focus on her studies and one day becoming a high court judge.