Last Wednesday saw mothers, sisters and children in Carolina unite as they picketed outside the Carolina Magistrate’s Court in a bid to oppose the granting of bail to a suspect charged with raping his eight-year-old stepdaughter.
Wonderboy Lukhele (26) was arrested on 26 September, after his live-in girlfriend reported him to the police for raping her daughter.
This came after the victim’s school principal informed the police and social workers that the child was too scared to go back home, because her stepfather had physically abused her.
In the courtroom, the suspect, dressed in a long-sleeved striped T-shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers, appeared calm and avoided eye contact with the women who packed the courtroom.
When he was finally called to the stand, the suspect’s legal representative informed the magistrate that his client no longer wanted to proceed with the bail application, much to the delight of the women, as they left the courtroom shortly after a date for the hearing was announced.
One of the women in support of the picket, Prudence Sweet, is a relative of the suspect. She said as a family they are really disappointed at him.
“Much as he’s my relative, I’m against what he did and this means our children are also not safe from him,” she said.
Duduzile Mthimunye, a mother of three, said as parents they are concerned with the increasing number of rape cases in the area and encouraged other parents to pay attention to their children’s behaviour. She advises parents to have an open relationship with their children so that it makes it easier for them to report anything untoward.
On behalf of the ANCWL, Ms Catherine Mnisi said they would not rest until the suspect was behind bars.
She added that there were a number of other similar cases that they support and wish for the suspect to be put away for a long time. The women are completely against rapists being granted bail as they come back to haunt the community. She concluded with a warning to all the mothers not to protect these perpetrators, because they fear losing the financial support they enjoy.
The case was postponed to 10 November and the ANCWL together with local women will apply for a formal march from Silobela to Carolina in support of the victims and other women and children molested and sexually abused.
