Stepfather up on rape charges

A Komani stepfather is in court on charges of the alleged rape of his stepdaughter over a decade from the ages of 11 to 21.

Judgment on the granting of bail at the Queenstown Magistrate’s Court was postponed to November 12 by magistrate Gannasen Narayamsay this week.

Narayamsay allowed the South African Police Services (SAPS) specialised unit for family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) investigative officer Ndileka Bhokolo time to verify the alternative address of the accused if he is granted bail.

State prosecutor Kungeka Tshaka called to the dock Bhokolo who said the accused was facing a count of rape and another of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The alleged rapes had started in September 2008 and continued until 2018.

Bhokolo said the stepfather had allegedly taken the then teenage girl to the clinic when she was 17, asking for her to be put on contraceptives as she was sexually active.

She said the victim had not been allowed to play with other children or to take part in group assignments at school.

Instead, Bhokolo said, the woman had indicated that her stepfather would meet her on her way home and take her to a shack where he would rape her.

She was not allowed to walk alone to the shop either and when she refused to comply with his demands, she was allegedly told that she and her unemployed mother would be left homeless.

The young girl eventually grew up and went to the police college for training. Her ordeal was not yet over, Bhokolo said, as her stepfather would take her bank card, saying he had paid for her education and giving her only R200 a month.

When she returned for her weekend off from college, her phone was allegedly searched and questions asked about a photo of a man.

“He claimed she was having an affair. He said they were going to exercise in the open veld and he hit her with a thorn branch. He broke her arm and when they got home – he said she fell. He threatened not to allow her to return to college and hit her again in a quiet area near Nonesi Mall.”

Bhokolo said the man had allegedly not used a condom and he was on anti-retroviral treatment for someone who was HIV-positive.

“The victim is traumatised. She said she does not see any life ahead and is thinking of killing herself.

“Her mother is traumatised to a great extent, as are the neighbours. They suspected there was something going on because the child was not allowed to play with other children,” Bhokolo said.

She called for bail to be refused and said the accused had not provided an alternative address which mean that he would be returning to the woman’s home.

Bhokolo said a J88 form could be provided to show abuse and injuries sustained by the woman.

Defence attorney provided by Legal Aid South Africa Nomawethu Mucavele said her client was charged with a schedule six offence and that he had applied for bail as he had to support five children.

“He works for the South African Defence Force and intends to plead not guilty.”

In Mucavele’s cross-examination of Bhokolo, she asked the policewoman if she had a statement from another person to whom the woman had told her story, which Bhokolo confirmed.

She said Bhokolo had no evidence that the accused would flee and that he had no previous criminal record.