A 58-year-old Limpopo teacher was remanded in custody when he appeared in court for allegedly raping a 13-year-old learner.
The name of the abused child, her school and the name of the teacher are concealed in order to avoid secondary victimisation of the minor.
Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the 58-year-old teacher appeared before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on a charge of rape.
She added that more charges might be preferred against the embattled teacher, in terms of Section 305 of the Children's Act.
The matter was postponed to April 11, 2025, while the teacher remains in custody.
IOL previously reported that the teacher was arrested on March 31 after being on the run.
Before the arrest of the teacher, IOL reported that police in Limpopo had been directed to mobilise maximum resources to track and apprehend the 58-year-old teacher.
Police said the abused learner was taken to her mother by another teacher.
At the time, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the teacher allegedly raped the child repeatedly.
“The suspect has been arrested following an extensive investigation by the detectives from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit. Preliminary investigation reveals that the 13-year-old female learner was allegedly raped several times since November 2024 until March 2025,” said Mashaba.
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Last week, IOL reported that the Senwabarwana Regional Court in Limpopo sentenced a 20-year-old man to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of raping a seven-year-old girl.
The rape incident happened in the Mogwadi policing area, under the Capricorn district, according to provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Thakeng.
“The incident occurred on September 5, 2017, at Mohodi village, where the victim's grandmother sent her to fetch a house key from a neighbour's grandson. Upon the victim's return, her grandmother noticed signs of distress, including red eyes and dry tears,” said Thakeng.
“The victim initially denied anything was amiss but later revealed that a 20-year-old neighbour had cut her hair in the bedroom, instructed her to lie on her stomach and then raped her.”
The rape-accused man was arrested on September 5, 2017. He was later released on bail.
IOL