A 39-year-old man is expected to appear in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court today, 15 April, facing a charge of rape following an alleged attack on a 16-year-old girl late last year.
The suspect was arrested by the Makhado Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit after the teenager reported the incident to her grandmother.
According to provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the alleged rape took place on 13 November 2025 at around 16:30 in Zamekomste village, located in the Tshilwavhusiku area of the Vhembe district.
The victim told police that she was walking past the suspect’s homestead when the suspect’s younger brother approached her, saying that his brother was calling her to the house. When she responded, she found the suspect waiting outside. He then allegedly forced her inside and raped her.
Brigadier Mashaba said the suspect instructed the victim not to tell anyone about the ordeal.
The teenager eventually confided in her grandmother, who opened a rape case at Tshilwavhusiku SAPS on Thursday, 9 April. Police confirmed that the FCS unit acted swiftly after receiving the case docket, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Police investigations are continuing.