MOPANI – Two elderly men, whose identities cannot be revealed on the basis that the complainants are closely related to them, briefly appeared in the Saselemani magistrate court on Monday on a charge of rape.

The first incident took place at Shikundu village. According to the police spokesperson in the Mopani area, Capt Moatshe Ngoepe, it is alleged that a 15-year-old girl has been falling victim of rape by her uncle for the past few years. The incident came under the spotlight when the girl fell pregnant about five months ago.

The police received a tip-off about the accused's brutal activities and started to conduct some investigations, before arresting the suspect over the past weekend. He was not asked to plead when he appeared in court on Monday, and the case was postponed to Friday, October 24.

The accused will be in custody until the next court date. At a village called Josefa, the police statement says, a 52-year-old traditional healer was also arrested over the past weekend. He has allegedly been raping his own 21-year-old biological daughter from way back in 1994.

According to the police statement, the accused allegedly fathered the victim in 1982. She is now the mother of a nine-year-old boy. The statement further indicates that the girl's mother had been aware of the events all along and that she decided to keep it to herself, as she was afraid of her husband.

The information leaked to the police after the accused allegedly raped his other biological daughter (a younger sister to the mother of the nine- year-old boy) recently. The girl reported the matter to the police and it was at that stage that the police became aware that the accused was the father to his daughter's nine-year-old boy.

He was not asked to plead when he appeared in court on Monday and the case was also postponed to Friday, October 24. His bail application was not entertained. The police are investigating the matter further.