SHARPEVILLE. – A Tshepiso Phase 1 family is still in shock after discovering that their mentally disabled boy named *Tiro (19) is HIV positive.
Tiro was allegedly raped repeatedly by a foreign tuckshop worker for a mere R2 and one cigarette. The victim says he used to go and take out the garbage at the tuckshop to get money for cigarettes, until one day the man asked him to come into his room, had sex with him and then gave him R10.
“At first, he gave me R10 and told me to never tell anyone. After that, he did it again and then gave me R2 and one cigarette. I was too scared to say anything.”
A female relative of the boy noticed a difference in his behaviour and asked him what the matter was. He admitted that the foreigner had raped him and warned him not to speak out. “Last Saturday, I asked Tiro who had been having sex with him and he told me it was “Ke Mukula”, referring to the guy who works at a tuckshop a street away from us.
“We then called other family members and went to confront the man. Tiro was able to pick him out from the group of people he had been sitting with but he denied everything.
“We called his boss and that is when the truth came out and he admitted what he had done. His boss told us to beat him up but we said the police would deal with the matter.” Tiro’s grandmother says this is the most difficult situation she has ever encountered. “I want whoever did this to my son to pay. He was already on treatment because of his illness, now he will have to live with the virus forever.” Sharpeville Police spokesperson, Captain Attie Loate, confirms that the suspect was arrested and has appeared in court.
The matter has since been handed to the Vereeniging SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. *Not his real name.
