A 39-year-old father appeared in the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court, Ekurhuleni where he’s facing a charge of allegedly raping his daughter and subsequently having a child with her.

The alleged abuse began in March 2022 when the victim was 15 years old at the time.

Lumka Mahanjana, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said when the alleged abuse happened, the victim was living with both parents and her younger brother in Tsakani.

“On the day of the first incident, the mother was at church, leaving the victim with her father and brother. It’s alleged that the father called the victim into the house while playing outside and sent her brother to buy chips from the shops.

“When the victim got inside the house she found the father in her room, when she went to enquire why he called her. The father allegedly locked the door behind her, undressed both himself and the victim, raped her, and left her in her room,” explained Mahanjana.

Mahanjana added that when the mother returned, she found her daughter crying and she told her that her father allegedly raped her. However, the mother did not believe her.

“After the first incident, a second incident allegedly happened, however, the mother still did not believe the victim until she stopped reporting about the rape incidents which continued to happen when the mother was not around.

“A while later, the victim fell ill, and the mother took her to Pholosong hospital where it was confirmed that she was pregnant. On an unspecified date, the mother brought a mixture of concoction and told the child to drink in an attempt to abort her baby, which failed.

“The parents then moved the victim to Limpopo to live with her paternal grandmother, where she gave birth to a boy in December 2022,” she said.

After turning 18, the victim opened a case in Limpopo in July 2025, leading to the father’s arrest a few days later.

On Friday, the father requested the court to release him on R1,000 bail. He stated that he is the primary caregiver for his three children, and his unemployed wife is unable to support them.

Sergeant Tebogo Lephoto, the investigating officer, opposed the bail application, stating that DNA evidence confirmed that the accused was the father of the victim’s child, who is now three years old.

The investigating officer further testified that the accused is likely to interfere with witnesses because he travelled from Gauteng to Limpopo in an attempt to confront the child after becoming aware that the child had opened a case against him and was discussing the matter on social media.

His bail application was postponed to August 12, 2025, for a bail judgment.

sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za

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