A 36-year-old man from Mokopane area in Limpopo has appeared before the Mahwelereng Magistrates' Court on Monday, facing a charge of rape.

Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said the 36-year-old man allegedly raped his niece, aged four.

The name of the accused man is concealed to protect the identity of the victim.

Following the court appearance on Monday, Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused man abandoned his bail application.

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“It is alleged that on Friday, in the Mokopane area, the victim's mother left her with the accused at their homestead while she went to a nearby shop to buy maize meal,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

When the mother returned, one of her children informed her that the uncle had raped the four-year-old girl.

“She entered the bedroom of the accused and found him with the victim who was crying. She then noticed blood on the victim's private parts, and she immediately rushed her to the hospital,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

The matter was reported to the police, and the 36-year-old uncle was arrested.

On Monday, the matter was postponed to May 6, 2025, for further investigations. The accused man was remanded in custody.

Last week, IOL reported that a 58-year-old teacher was arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old learner in the Capricorn district of Limpopo.

Police said the abused learner was taken to her mother by another teacher.

At the time, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the teacher was arrested on Monday last week.

“The suspect has been arrested following an extensive investigation by the detectives from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit. Preliminary investigation reveals that the 13-year-old female learner was allegedly raped several times since November 2024 until March 2025,” said Mashaba.

IOL