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Freedom Day holds rich significance within South Africa, focusing on celebrating and commemorating the long struggle for democracy in the country.
While the South African landscape has changed substantially since the country’s first non-racial election in 1994, the progressiveness of our country should have seen leaping strides in the freedom of our children living safe and successful lives. However, it appears our country has a long road ahead of it in achieving true freedom for our youth.
Looking at a recent case destroying South African’s freedom, a senior government official and his wife have appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of rape involving two children aged between 13 and 15 years of age.
Police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli states the 49-year-old man is the uncle of the two children and a Director of a municipality in Gauteng. “It is alleged that his 36-year-old wife, hereinafter referred to as an aunt to the victims, forced the victims to have sexual intercourse with her husband in exchange for meals. The suspects were eventually exposed by a concerned citizen which led to the man as well his wife brought to book on Friday 23 April 2021.”
Colonel Mdhluli explains that reports suggest that between 2019 and 2020, the two girls who are cousins, were reportedly lured from Mozambique by their aunt under the false pretence that they would receive a better education in South Africa. He says, “When they arrived in the country, they were allegedly subjected to rape, as well as gross human violations. According to allegations, the girls were literally kept as slaves by their own aunt and uncle in a house at Shatale near Bushbuckridge, which was supposed to be a warm home for them.”
According to police reports, the sequence of events indicates that their aunt would often change the girls each time to sleep with her husband. She would allegedly often excuse herself from the bedroom, and when the girls refused to obey, they would be severely assaulted and starved. The police spokesperson adds, “When the elder girl narrated the ordeal, she said one night she hid inside a wardrobe out of fear and for those few hours, she was at least safe. However, her freedom was short-lived as in the next morning, she was severely assaulted, and sadly no one came to her rescue.”
The girls managed to escape their horrific circumstances on Friday, 23 April 2021, when their aunt and uncle went away for a while. They then got a chance to sneak out of the house and reported the matter to a good Samaritan, who in turn alerted the police. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the girls were illegally brought into the country without proper documentation; hence an additional charge of contravention of the Immigration Act was added. The suspects are also facing a charge of human trafficking as well as conspiracy to commit a crime.
While the country waits for the latest crime statistics, the last statistics presented by the Police Minister, Bheki Cele, paints a bleak image. From October 2020 to December 2020, an inconceivable 12 218 rape cases were reported to the SAPS. Not all of these are child-related, but the fact that South African’s reported over 12 000 rape cases in 3 months confirms the issue at hand.
It would appear, South Africa has a far way in achieving freedom for the vulnerable members of our community. What are your thoughts?
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