A MAN who allegedly raped a five-year-old child in Ludlow Village in the Greater Manyeleti area of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga appeared briefly in the Mhala Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 22 March.
The 35-year-old, who allegedly raped the girl in a pigsty, was not asked to plead to the charge before Magistrate Robert Mokone.
He stood quietly and listened attentively as public prosecutor Rhulani Hlatshwayo told the court about the seriousness of the offence he was facing.
His arrest came after the victim went crying to her gogo and told her the accused raped her after he lured her with sweets.
The rape allegedly happened shortly after her mum left her with her gogo, as she had to go to Thulamahashe to deliver school shoes for her other child.
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has strongly condemned the rape.
“The suspect allegedly went to the girl’s house at about 3pm while her gogo was in the house.
“He then took the child to the back of the house and lured her into a disused pigsty and raped her.”
She said when the incident was reported to the police, an investigation was conducted by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit at Acornhoek. after which the suspect was arrested and charged with rape.
The matter has been postponed until Friday, 25 March for a formal bail application.
