The Ethiopian man was arrested on Saturday after his alleged victim reported the incident after returning from a trip to a spaza shop.
A foreign national has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a little girl.
The incident involving a six-year-old girl was reported to police on 3 April, with the Ethiopian man arrested on Saturday.
Senior police officials have condemned the incident, with the suspect expected in court on Monday.
Girl sent to spaza shop alone
The six-year-old girl was reportedly sent to a spaza shop in Arnot near Hendrina at roughly 6pm on Thursday.
Upon returning, the girl relayed to her family that she was sexually assaulted, with the family reporting the matter to the police.
Following investigations by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, the man was traced and arrested on Saturday.
“We will spare no effort in ensuring that justice is served for the victim in this case. Our investigators, working closely with the prosecution, will see to it that the suspect faces the full consequences of his alleged actions,” stated Mpumalanga police commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi.
The man is set to make his first appearance at the Hendrina Magistrate’s Court on 7 April.
Justice for Cwecwe
The arrest in Mpumalanga came a day before a protest at Moroka police station on 6 April by community members demanding justice for Cwecwe.
Similar to the Mpumalanga victim, Cwecwe is a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at a school in the Eastern Cape.
Ward 37 councillor Papi Chetsanga urged all sectors of society to contribute to ending such horrific crimes committed against children and women.
“The girl child should not be seen to be persecuted by the people who are supposed to protect them,” Chetsanga told The Citizen on Sunday.
“The authorities — the justice department and the police — must play their role in bringing the perpetrators to book.
“Education is for the future, to make sure that boys are also taught from a young age, so that when he becomes an adult he knows how to respect a woman,” Chetsanga concluded.
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