Girl, 8, made to sleep in rape accused’s bed

Police drove her to Nkololo’s house where they all spent the night

AN EIGHT-year-old Khayelitsha girl was forced to sleep on the same bed as her alleged perpetrator just more than 12 hours after the alleged rape, the Western Cape High Court heard yesterday.

This emerged during the trial of Odwa Nkololo, who stands accused of two counts of rape involving two minors and murder.

The rape incidents, involving 4-year-old Iyapha Yamile, who Nkololo allegedly murdered, and the 8-year-old, occurred in separate incidents six weeks apart.

The 8-year-old cannot be named.

Nkololo allegedly killed Iyapha before stuffing her body in a plastic bag and dumping it in an open field.

Her family had reported her missing the previous day.

The 8-year-old was close to Nkololo.

The girl’s mother testified in court yesterday that she received a call at her workplace on March 24 last year from her cousin that the child had said Nkololo had raped her. She had earlier left the child with Nkololo.

The mother rushed home and took the child to a clinic in Khayelitsha.

Police could not take a statement that night and drove her to Nkololo’s house, where they all spent the night.

The girl’s mother testified that she had confronted Nkololo about the incident when she arrived at the house. She said Nkololo denied it.

Judge Diane Davis was puzzled, saying: “How could you have gone there (Nkololo’s house) and slept with a man you allege to have raped your child?” The mother replied that she was of the impression that the police officers would arrest Nkololo.

She said she also wanted to confront Nkololo about the rape.

When Judge Davis asked her why she did not make sleeping arrangements at a different house, she said she did not want to leave Nkololo because he was not working and he had taken care of her when he was still employed.

The case was postponed to tomorrow.