4 GIRLS RAPED, FUEL CHALLENGES DELAY ARREST OF SUSPECT

MBABANE – It is now reaching crisis point. 

This is the general consensus concerning the shortage of fuel within government, which has also immensely affected the operations of the police service.

As it is, four children who were allegedly raped by a community member have been unable to tell their story to the police. This is because the police cannot reach the area where the children reside due to a fuel shortage. In fact, three weeks have passed without a statement being recorded by the police following the alleged rape of the four children aged between six and 10 years.

The delay by the officers to record a statement has been attributed to fuel challenges.

The shocking incident happened at Mgidzangcunu at Vuvulane, where an elderly man believed to be over 50 years is accused of having raped the minors. 

Siblings 

The children are not siblings but friends and have not received counselling of any sort since the ordeal. Such a rape incident is not the first to happen in the country.

 In a recent statement made in August, the National Commissioner of Police, William Tsitsibala Dlamini said the country was presently witnessing a disturbing rise in the number of gender-based violence cases, rape in particular, which depicted an increase of 11 per cent from 560 recorded cases between January to August 2019 compared to 629 in the corresponding period in 2020.

Dlamini said the perpetration of violence in all its forms had no room in modern society and such was not, and should not be condoned in any sector of society because more often than not, it usually culminated into serious crimes committed with aggravating circumstances.

According to the survivors’ guardians, the incident has resulted in the children becoming very edgy and not in a very good state of mind, mostly because they have been unable to get the necessary assistance following the traumatic experience.

Further, they disclosed that the matter was reported to the police by the community authorities. They stated that the police only came once and took the survivors to Mkhuzweni Clinic where they were treated and discharged.

According to the guardians, they received a call from the investigating police officer who informed them that they had fuel challenges and could not come to record statements with the minors. 

The parents said the alleged rapist who was known by the police but was not arrested continued to roam freely in the area. 

Narrating the details of how the rape incidents occurred, the guardians said the children were lured with money ranging from E1 to E10.

Sheeben 

They noted that the alleged rapist owned two houses situated at the village and one was owned by his girlfriend, while the other was used as a shebeen. “This is the same house where the perpetrator pounced on the children,” the guardians alleged.

On the day he allegedly sexually assaulted the children, the guardians said the place was not busy as there was no alcohol. 

“My daughter, who is aged 10, was passing-by, going to the shops and was called by her peers who were in the company of the alleged rapist whom they said was calling her,” one of the guardians said.

“Upon reaching his flat, he ordered my daughter and the other children to remove their clothes. She also mentioned that her daughter tried resisting but was forcefully removed her clothes and raped,” the guardian alleged.

Meanwhile, the guardian said all four children were raped one after the other.

Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) Director Nonhlanhla Dlamini said their office would be visiting the survivors today to provide counselling. Dlamini stated that they would also check on whether a statement was recorded with the police and assist in that regard.

When reached for comment, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the issue. She called upon the parents of the children who were allegedly raped to come forward and assist the police with their investigations. Vilakati said the investigation desk was still communicating to get more evidence as there seemed to be loopholes in the issue. 

She said children’s issues were handled sensitivity. Vilakati said they had challenges with fuel but as police officers, they continued to serve the nation diligently and would not stop doing their job.   

Relationship 

“Communities should learn to creat a healthy relationship with their station commanders in order to seek intervention if they feel their issue had not been well attended to,” Vilakati said. She also encouraged survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) to also approach the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, under the Social Welfare Department, where they could plead their case. Meanwhile, she said parents needed to take the responsibility and do not assume that police would know what was happening. “We need to work hand-in-hand with the guardians in such issues.”

The DPM, Themba Masuku, said he would get his team to work on the matter and ensure that the children received the much deserved counselling.

Masuku noted that the protection of the child was a responsibility of the parents, whom, he stated, were partly to blame. “Guardians are really letting us down and the nation as well,” Masuku said.

He noted that if parents knew that an area was not safe, they should take it upon themselves to ensure safety first for their children and family members. 

Masuku said a number of these unfortunate incidents that were happening were due to the fact that parents were not responsible. “When you bring a child into this world, it is their responsibility to protect, feed, clothe, educate and give healthcare services to the minor,” he noted.

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