A 62-year-old man, who was moered by the community for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Langa, appeared at the Bishop Lavis Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Mlamli Xameni was attacked by angry residents on Monday after they learnt that the victim’s family was turned away by police when they went to open a case at Langa Police Station.
The family said they were told by cops to return the following day to lay charges.
Xameni appeared in court wearing a bloodstained Springbok jersey, his head bandaged and his face still swollen from the beating.
Street committee member Ncebakazi Nxawe said the young girl told them that she went to see her friend, who is the daughter of Xameni.
The old man allegedly lied to the girl, saying his daughter was in the house.
“She told us that she went to see her friend and he told her that she was in the bedroom and when she went inside, the friend was not there and he took out a knife, covered her mouth with his hand and opened her legs and raped her,” an angry Nxawe said.
Nxawe said the accused threatened the girl that if she told anyone about what happened, he would kill her and her family.
The victim’s mother said outside court that she was in Port Elizabeth at the time and rushed home after she heard of her child’s ordeal.
“I’m deeply hurt by what happened to my child, especially because it is someone known to her. There is no punishment fit enough for him other than the death sentence,” said the distraught mother.
Magistrate E Wessels asked the accused in court if he needed a legal representative or whether he would represent himself and he replied that he has Scorpion Legal Protection.
The case was postponed to 6 August for bail information and the defence attorney to be present.
Outside court, a group of women from Langa protested, saying Xameni must not be granted bail.
Vuyiswa Msizi said they are saddened and worried by what happened and fear for other girls.
“In our area there are a lot of young girls and we are worried if he gets out they will be his next victims,” she says.