AN 18-YEAR old Tsholotsho man has been arrested for allegedly raping his nine year-old sister for more than five years.
Villagers effected a citizens’ arrest on the suspect of Chief Mahlathini’s area on Tuesday.
The man we cannot name to protect his minor victim’s identity had been on the run since Friday last week after one of the villagers caught him red-handed sexually abusing his biological sister.
Family sources told The Chronicle that the teenager threatened to kill the girl if she told anyone about the abuse.
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| A 9-Year-Old’s 5-Year Rape Ordeal At Brother’s Hands |
One of the victim’s brothers said the family first discovered the sexual assaults nearly five years ago.
“When we discovered it, my father who is now late decided we should sweep it under the carpet. He feared he would go to prison,” he said.
Family members, he added thought that the suspect had stopped raping his sister as elders had told him he would go to jail.
Councillor Patrick Ngwenya who tracked the alleged abuser to a bushy area where he was hiding, said the teen took advantage of their parents’ deaths to continue abusing the girl.
“This is a child headed family. I suspect this gave the young man the opportunity to help himself to his young sister. It’s said that he usually raped her in the afternoons when the other brothers would be away,” said Clr Ngwenya.
“He was caught by his friend in action last Friday afternoon. The friend didn’t report the matter but told some people who then spread the word till it reached my ears,” said Clr Ngwenya.
He said as a councillor and a community leader, whose role is to protect people, he has always been against child abuse.
“The issue reached my ears and when I summoned him, he fled from his home. I personally hunted him down from Sunday only to catch him on Monday noon at a dam just about 500 metres away from his home.
“I approached his family and told his brothers that I was taking him to the police as I don’t want such inhumane behaviour in my area.
“What saddened me most is the fact that when I took the young girl to the doctor on Monday, it was confirmed that the girl had been constantly raped for over a long time,” he said.
Clr Ngwenya said the girl had been turned into a woman long ago and her muscles had been used to this kind of abuse. The other brothers then confirmed this although they defended him saying they thought that was in the past.
“I’m still hunting more rapists that I’ve heard of in my ward. I understand that these men coming from South Africa, the injiva have a tendency of sexually abusing young girls. I hope the arrest of the suspect will teach many that rape is inhumane and it leads to arrest,” he said.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Inspector Sipiwe Makonese could not be reached for comment as she was out of office.
