A 22-year-old man is in custody after he had allegedly raped a 70-year-old gogo at her home in Siloam last Saturday night.

It is alleged that Lindelani Lidovho had smashed a side window of the old lady's one-room house and gained entrance. He then raped the granny, who is said to be a mental patient and lives alone.

According to the spokesperson for the Siloam police, W/O Edzisani Tharaga, after raping her, Lidovho allegedly got into the gogo’s bed and fell asleep. The old lady then called members of the community to come and help her. The community allegedly found Lidovho snoring in bed and apprehended him.

The police were alerted and they arrested the suspect.

“We want to thank the community for responding to the old woman's cry of help,” said Tharaga.

The president for Vhembe Traditional Health Practitioners, Maine Vho-Mbilivhili Neluvhola, condemned the act of rape of an elderly. “The matter was brought to our attention by the community and the police,” Maine Vho-Neluvhola said. “As a community leader, I feel shocked by what happened. We can't condone acts like these. My feeling is that there's a lack of respect among the youth. The youth need to understand and accept that the elderly are their grandparents and not objects of sexual engagement.”

Lidovho appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate's Court on Monday and his case was postponed to 11 March 2013 for further investigation. He remains in custody.