Pretoria - The EFF and gender-based violence activists have vowed to gather in large numbers tomorrow when the 27-year-old man accused of raping his 2-year-old niece applies for bail in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court.
The child’s mother broke down in tears in court on Tuesday when the accused was due to appear in court. However, proceedings were disrupted by load shedding and postponed.
The community has submitted for the man to be declared “unfit and undeserving” to live among them. They want bail denied and for him to remain in jail until trial.
EFF Tshwane regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said the party would support the mother of the child, who is recovering from the injury she suffered during the rape.
Ramabodu said: “All of these cases are of concern and need to be given full attention and ensure that justice is reached for all victims, and ensure that the perpetrator is locked up to save our children.
“Gender-based violence remains a continuous and horrific trend only because there are never sufficient consequences against perpetrators.
“The EFF further calls for the arrest of every member of the family who’s trying to make cover-ups in this case within three days, failure to adhere to such will result in us taking extra measures in order to ensure that justice prevails.”
The incident allegedly occurred around 8pm on September 24. The mother of the child had visited the family house where her brother lives with their mother.
There was load shedding, and while she was busy, her brother watched her toddler daughter in another room. Suddenly he was playing music on his phone loudly. She then heard her daughter scream in pain and rushed to the room to find her brother naked next to the child.
The Pretoria News has seen images of the child’s wounds and skin colour that has darkened due to the ARVs she is taking. There are also images of the child sitting next to vomit as she struggles to stomach the treatment.
EFF members and activists said they were enraged because while the mother was going through pain, her mother and cousins had turned their back on her for taking the matter to the police.
EFF ward 36 branch secretary ward in Soshanguve Block WW, Dorothy Singo, said: “This is sickening, to be honest. And once again, we have women supporting a perpetrator of gender-based violence. The children’s grandmother is a nurse and she turned her back on her daughter for involving the police. The aunt works for the police but she is also supporting the child’s grandmother.
“We are hurt and disturbed as the people of Soshanguve. We will continue to support the mother of the child and we hope justice will be served. This is simply unacceptable.
“This woman needs the support of her mother but the mother takes this matter for granted and thinks she can solve such a serious matter with a family meeting. We are hurt as women.”
The inconsolable mother said outside court on Tuesday: “I am so hurt. My mother and my aunt, one a nurse at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and the other a member of the police, just walked passed me laughing and enjoying seeing me in pain.
My aunt is actually the one who was telling the court that she would take in my brother should he be granted bail.
“I do not even know why they are doing this because they know the boy is bad. He is on drugs and he steals. We have to charge our phones holding them with our hands or they will go missing. How do you turn around and act like you do not know that the boy is no good?”
Pretoria News