Mamelodi community want sexual predators out of their township

Community members in Mamelodi are upset, saying they are being forced to live with an alleged sexual predator who targets children in the township.

YNews learnt from the community that a man in their area was arrested earlier this month in connection with an alleged sexual violation of youngsters in the township, with the assistance of a female cohort who hunts his victims down.

The pair was taken in to custody for questioning on the matter, after one child blew the whistle on them.

However, they were released less than 24 hours after the arrest, with police citing lack of substantial proof.

One mother, Patience Mabaso, who lives close to the alleged perpetrator, says she is outraged that the old man is not behind bars.

“I am angry as a mom, as a community member, and as a citizen of South Africa that we still have such things happening in our communities. This is an old man grooming our children, staying not far from our primary schools,” says Mabaso.

The mother says she now fears for her own child’s life, to a point that she can’t even send her to the shops by herself.

She and many other mothers have slammed the justice system for failing victims of Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) on a daily.

Community members gathered in the Township today demanding the the 70-year-old man and his accomplice be put behind bars, saying they have no place in society.

GBVF brigades in Mamelodi, who were also part of the awareness march, believe that minors who have been sexually abused wait too long to speak up, out of fear. They’ve encouraged them to do so as soon as possible.

Dora Xaba, a member of one of Mamelodi’s safety brigades, says that the only way for sexual predators to be held accountable for their atrocities is for victims and society to come out as soon as they smell a rat.

She also suggests that psychological care for victims is critical in reducing the emotional pain caused by the unfortunate incidents.

She adds that in most cases, victims speak out after being violated and experiencing unbearable trauma.

“While working with GBVF cases in our schools, we can see that children who are sexually abused usually cough things out too late into the incidents when they are damaged. As the GBV brigades, we are preaching that people who are victims of such crimes get justice as soon as possible. They should feel free to approach us of they need help with finding justice,” says Xaba.

Phakedi Tsiyane, the organisational head of Operation Lukisa Sgela in Mamelodi, says the rehabilitation of sexual violators in the country is essential for ensuring a safer South Africa.

Tsiyane, who joined the march, says his organisation strives to rectify learners’ conduct in society by conducting campaigns in various schools in the area, warning them against antisocial behaviour and emphasising the importance of making them aware while they are still young.

He believes that criminals traverse society thinking that what they are doing is part of everyday life, unaware of the terrible impact their actions have on others.

Tsiyane also advocates for the rehabilitation of lawbreakers like sexual predators in society, saying that they need to be made aware that it’s wrong to take advantage of minors.

“Perpetrators need to be corrected when found guilty. They need counselling by psychologists and social workers so that a solution to their problems can be discovered. Some of them have no idea that what they are doing is wrong. They do it because to them it’s a norm and they just feel the need to fulfil a sexual urge, but at the end of the day it damages the whole community,” he says.

One of the march organisers, Tshepi Khumalo, says the community decided to unite after the allegations against the man and woman’s alleged atrocities came to light.

“I was approached by the community, because there is a certain old man who preys on young kids and violates them. This case is close to my heart because I am a mother too. This man needs to be stopped. We want prompt solutions and we need justice to be served, ” says Khumalo.

They also hope to educate society about the hazards that minors in the area face, such as catching STDs and teenage pregnancy, emphasising that everyone must play a role in protecting children.

“If we can’t protect them today, tomorrow they will be victims and will even fall sick from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) like HIV and AIDS. Girl children will also fall pregnant too early into their lives and even find themselves trapped in perpetual cycles of sexual violence against them,” says, Kgothatso Moloto, Another one of the march organisers.

The group is pushing for thorough investigations into the pair’s alleged sexual abuse, which the community alleges has been going on for years.

They also seek to ensure that the necessary services assisting victims and survivors of GBV are effectively resourced and managed.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao