Angry community oppose bail
SCORES of the IFP members demonstrated outside Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on Monday, calling for a rape suspect to be denied bail.
The 55-year-old suspect was arrested on Thursday, 1 November for the rape of a seven-year-old schoolgirl.
The incident occurred in the Dukuduku area in Ward 3 of the Mtubatuba Municipality.
According to the police, the victim’s mother noticed that her child was walking with difficulty, and when she questioned her, she discovered she had been raped.
The child told her mother that the suspect bought her bananas and gave her R4, before raping her, adding that it was not the first time.
IFP Mtubatuba constituency chairperson, Soyika Gumede, said there were many cases of rape in the Mtubatuba community, and most of them were not reported to the police for investigation.
‘We know that courts work according to the law, but we are here to make a statement that rapists are not wanted in our communities.
‘The family trusted him and paid him to transport their child to school every day, but he chose to destroy her future by raping her. The worse part of it, he is a pastor.
‘We urge the state to bring back the death penalty for these kind of perpetrators.
‘Women and child abuse in this area is rife,’ Gumede said.
Police spokesperson, Captain Justice Hlabisa, said a case of rape was opened at Mtubatuba SAPS for investigation.
‘The child was taken to Hlabisa where a doctor confirmed that she was raped.’