HA-MASIA – The community of the far northern part of Limpopo, more especially the residents of Ha-Masia are still shocked about an incident where a 34-year old father had raped his 11-year old daughter, before then committing suicide in front of her.

Police spokesperson, Capt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi said that the man lied to his wife, telling her that he was visiting a relative at the De Hoop Settlement near Ha-Masia last Friday evening. “He parked his vehicle in the bushes next to De Hoop and raped his daughter. After that, without saying a word, he got out of the car and walked into the bushes.”

Mushavhanamadi said that the girl waited inside the car until the following morning. She then went outside, only to find her father hanging from a tree. She went back home and informed her relatives. Her father, however, was already dead.

According to Mushavhanamadi, the child was taken to the trauma centre for specialist treatment.

It was reported from Giyani that Bidela Noza Chabalala (43) of Homu village will spend the next ten years in jail for rape. His case was finalised in the Giyani Regional court on Monday.

The incident relating to the case took place at Homu village near Giyani on June 15 last year, at about 15:00. The court heard that the accused had called a 20-year old girl to his house on the day of the incident. On arrival at his house he requested her to accompany him to the nearby bushes to fetch some firewood.

On arrival in the bush, the man ordered the victim to pull off her clothes. He then raped her repeatedly until sunset. The victim told the whole story to her mother who in turn reported the matter to the police. The victim is a psychiatric patient.

The accused was arrested two days after the incident. He appeared in the district court several times before the case was referred to the regional court. Chabalala was not granted an option to pay a fine.