Diepsloot Leader Urges Deportation of Accused Ethiopian in Child Rape Case

• A community leader has called for the deportation of an Ethiopian national accused of raping a seven-year-old in Diepsloot, Johannesburg
• The 34-year-old tuckshop owner appeared before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on 18 July 2024
• The magistrate postponed the case to 25 July 2024 to allow the state to secure an Amharic interpreter

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered court proceedings and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

A community leader has called for the deportation of a 34-year-old Ethiopian national accused of raping a seven-year-old from Diepsloot, Johannesburg, Gauteng.

Diepsloot calls for justice for rape victim

Kgakgamatso Sekoto said the family and community would be pleased if justice were served:

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"They must return home; we do not want them here. He must rot in jail."

Sekoto spoke to IOL after the tuckshop owner appeared for his bail hearing at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on 18 July 2024.

The minor was reportedly violated in the presence of her eight-year-old sibling inside the store on 11 July 2024. According to Power987, the family, with the assistance of the Diepsloot Community Forum, reported the incident, and the police opened the case three days after the sexual assault.

The magistrate postponed the case against the tuckshop owner to 25 July 2024 to allow the state to secure an Amharic interpreter, the language spoken by the accused.

Mzansi appalled by the assault

Many netizens were disgusted by the harrowing deed and some questioned the perceived lack of action surrounding the alleged crime.

@KatlegoKaG pointed out:

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“You know, in his country, he could be dead if he committed such a crime. He knows he will go to jail or maybe get away with it. If he pays, the investigations officers will mess up the evidence.”

@thibanmak said:

“Not only are foreign men running black communities economically. A child was raped, and South African men in that community will not lift a finger to fight for the safety of their children; they will not consider shutting down all spaza shops for their children's safety.”

@phathus asked:

“@HelenSuzmanFdn, what are you going to do to protect the rights of the little girl?”

@tumisangmafora stated:

“Capital punishment.”

@MissG46249975 commented:

“Sis Banna bone mara imagine raping a child.”

KZN teen arrested for raping little girl

Briefly News reported that a teenager who appeared before the court for allegedly raping a minor had possibly committed a similar crime before.

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Authorities reportedly discovered the body of the other little girl in a shallow grave. The revelation angered South Africans, and many condemned the teenager.

Source: Briefly News