Limpopo police arrested a CPF member for allegedly raping his stepdaughter.
Police arrested a member of the Community Police Forum (CPF) in Vhembe, Limpopo, for allegedly raping his stepdaughter. He will spend New Year’s Day in custody.
The Limpopo provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, said on Saturday that she was alarmed by reports that went viral on social media.
Social media posts claimed that South African Police Service (Saps) members in Tshilwavhusiku arrested the Vhembe district CPF member for allegedly molesting his stepdaughter.
Social media posts about stepdaughter allegedly molested
Hadebe clarified that the member implicated in the rape incident is not the deputy secretary, as earlier reported and circulated on various social media platforms.
“We can confirm that a case of rape was registered at Tshilwavhusiku Police Station in Vhembe district following a complaint by a female victim, alleging that she was raped by her stepfather,” said police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“According to preliminary reports, the stepdaughter was threatened and instructed not to tell anyone about the rape ordeal or face death.”
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Police arrested the 61-year-old suspect after the incident on Thursday. The suspect, whose name is withheld to protect the victim’s identity, appeared before the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The court postponed the case until 13 January 2025 for further investigations. The stepfather will remain in custody until his next court appearance.
‘Law must take its course’
“We are, however, delighted that the police acted swiftly to arrest one of our own. The law must take its course without fear or favour.”
Earlier this month, the KwaMaqoma Regional Court in Eastern Cape sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years imprisonment for the rape of his 13-year-old stepdaughter between October and November 2022.
“It is alleged that in October 2022, while the victim was living with her mother and younger brother, the accused, who is her mother’s boyfriend, took advantage of the situation when her mother was intoxicated,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
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“The victim was raped multiple times by him over an extended period, with incidents occurring both at night and during the day when the victim’s mother was under the influence of alcohol.”
