Crime in South Africa

Elderly woman killed by son, police
January 05 2008
An 89-year-old woman died after she was stabbed with a bush knife by her son on Saturday morning in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga police said.
Superintendent Abie Khoabane said the woman had an argument with her 60-year-old son.
"It is unknown what led to the argument but he attacked her and she died on the scene. He was arrested."
A murder docket was opened and the man was expected to appear in court on Monday.


In a separate incident, a 12-year-old boy - who was looking after his neighbour's house - was raped by an unknown man at Driefontein near Piet Retief on Friday. "The suspect gained entry into the house through a window which was left open. He raped him and fled," Khoabane said.

Five-year-old girl raped, police
January 05 2008
A five-year-old girl was raped at Buxton village in Taung, North West police said on Saturday. Superintendent Lesego Metsi said the girl's mother noticed that her daughter had been raped when she complained of pain in her private parts during a bath at about 5pm on Friday.
"She then took the child to a local clinic where it was confirmed that she had been penetrated," Metsi said.
No arrests had been made but police were following "positive leads". -

Six-year boy raped near his home
January 08 2008
A six-year-old KwaZulu-Natal boy was forced to watch an adult movie and then repeatedly raped by a man living near his home, police said on Tuesday.
Captain Khephu Ndlovu said the incident took place a few days ago but that the matter was only reported to police on Monday afternoon.
"The boy revealed the details to his grandmother yesterday," said Ndlovu.
"He said the neighbour asked to watch a movie with him... and then the man undressed and forced the boy onto the bed.
The boy was then raped several times," said Ndlovu.
The child is receiving trauma counselling and an arrest is expected shortly.
KwaZulu-Natal Childline director Linda Naidoo said abuse of young boys was a common occurrence, but under-reported.
"At Childline, we don't just focus on the girl child but also on boys to empower and make them aware of abuse," said Naidoo.

"Sometimes boys think they not supposed to talk about it because it only affects girls. Young boys generally think that they are supposed to enjoy any sexual experience but it's not true - this is abusive and invasive - and with boys it affects them more in the long term," said Naidoo.
She said abuse of boys was being overlooked in South Africa and that it needed to be examined more closely in the future. - Sapa

Boy dies after fight about smoking
January 09 2008
A 16-year-old teenager, named as Abongile Mpemba, was stabbed to death by a friend in a quarrel over who would smoke tobacco first, Butterworth police said on Wednesday.
Mpemba wanted to smoke first and argued with his 18-year-old friend.
Mpemba and the 18-year-old both returned home to arm themselves before returning to confront each other again.
Mpemba was stabbed in the chest and died on scene.
His 18-year-old friend was arrested and the knife used to kill Mpemba was recovered.
The 18-year-old would appear before the Nqgamakhwe magistrate's court soon, said Manatha.

'Gang of robbers behind brutal robberies'
January 09 2008
The terrifying trail of a gang of robbers - headed by a man known as Razor - has begun emerging in Joburg's northern suburbs.
Police believe the gang is behind the brutal robbery at the home of Wits professor Alan Paterson - in which his 17-year-old daughter was raped - and an attack on the family of a Sandton pastor, among others.
In the robbery of Pastor Neil Rischbieter, his wife Carol and two other women were raped and his elderly parents terrorised for three hours.
In the Paterson attack, Paterson's wife Bronwyn was stabbed with a pair of scissors, three of her ribs were broken, her nose was smashed and a piece of her ear was torn off. She spent five days in intensive care.
After raping Paterson's teenage daughter, Jamie, a robber matter-of-factly told her he was HIV-positive.
In both cases, five armed intruders struck at roughly the same time of the night.
The hunt is now on for 26-year-old Bheki Zulu (Razor) and the alleged remaining members of the gang: Sibusiso Mashinini (aka Sbu) and Maxwell Keswa (aka Thabang).
Zulu was also arrested for attempted murder in 2005 after a botched robbery.
The hunt for Razor's gang began after police collected clues at Paterson's Strathavon home and identified three suspects. A crucial clue was gathered in the shower, where Jamie was raped.
The attack took place on October 2 - not long before Jamie, a school prefect, was due to start her final exams.
Despite the trauma, and sickness from the ARV drugs, she secured seven distinctions.
On December 17, five men broke into Rischbieter's Buccleuch home - where he and his wife Carol throw swimming parties for children from a nearby shelter.
Neil's parents, Joey and Noel, and a woman renting a cottage also live on the property. On the night, the tenant had three friends over, including another woman in her 20s.
The gang tied up their victims and rounded them up in Joey and Noel's cottage.
Carol was brought to the cottage but then marched back to the house. Her assailant tried to force her into the bathroom, but she refused, and he raped her in the bedroom.
"I was praying for him and his forgiveness," she said.
"I told him: 'You don't need to do this. You don't know how much Jesus loves you. Jesus will forgive you'."
The young tenant and her friend were also raped and one of their male friends was beaten by the robbers after he slipped out of the phone cords used to tie him up. The robbers also asked where they could find potatoes to gag their hostages - a sign Carol took to mean imminent death. Luckily, none could be found.
"It won't be long before they get the other three. We are very impressed with the police," Neil said....
A link between the Paterson and Rischbieter robberies was quickly established, and the following night, the unit struck again, this time catching Armando Makamo, 28. He later tried to commit suicide in his police cell.
Mashianini was almost caught but managed to slip away.
Since the arrests, at least two Buccleuch families have come forward to identify goods seized from the alleged gang members.

Woman raped during robbery
January 11 2008 at 09:03AM
Two armed men robbed and repeatedly raped a 60-year-old woman in Gezina, Pretoria police said on Friday.
The two, in their twenties, held the woman at gunpoint as she returned home to her rented room on a church property around 9pm on Thursday, said Captain Solly Marindi.
They blindfolded her, tied her hands and raped her when she said she had no money to give them.
They ransacked her home, taking a DVD player and R500 in cash, allegedly saying "thank you for assisting us", before fleeing on foot. - Sapa

Eight-year-old girls raped
January 11 2008 at 09:31AM
Two boys, aged 12 and 17, were expected to appear in Mpumalanga courts on Friday for allegedly raping girls in separate incidents, police said.
The 12-year-old was expected to appear in the Masoyi magistrate's court after he allegedly raped an eight-year-old girl on Wednesday. The matter was reported to police on Thursday.
The boy allegedly forced himself on the child as she was walking home from school on a deserted road around 1pm.
The 17-year-old boy allegedly raped a girl of the same age on Monday morning. It was also reported on Thursday.
"He went to the house of the victim where she was staying with her grandmother in Driefontein. He grabbed her, forced her into bushes and allegedly raped her."

20 year sentence for child rapist
January 11 2008 at 06:42PM
A 36-year-old Eastern Cape man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a five-year-old girl after she got up during the night to go to the toilet.
Grahamstown High Court judge Elna Revelas on Friday sentenced the man, who cannot be named as he is related to the girl's father.
Last November, Revelas found the accused man guilty of raping the child at his shack in Hlalani township, between 14 and 15 December last year.
The trial court heard evidence that the accused had invited the mother of the girl, along with her younger sister, to sleep over at his shack after a night of heavy drinking.

Man sought after women 'abducted and raped'
January 11 2008 at 03:20PM
The search continues for a bogus policeman alleged to have kidnapped three 21-year-old women at gunpoint in the Lansdowne area and then to have drugged and raped two of them.
The women were on their way home from a Lansdowne night club in November when the impostor stopped them.
The police Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit has released an identikit of the man.
According to police spokesperson Billy Jones, the women have described the man as being in his early 40s, about 1.75 metres tall, of medium build, and having short black hair and a dark complexion.
At the time of the attack, he was wearing a black T-shirt, green cargo pants, black hiking boots and square spectacles

Fred Picton-Turbervill leaves five children.
Saturday, 12 January 2008, 10:37 GMT
Police in South Africa have charged two men in connection with the murder of a south Wales father-of-five who was shot at his home in Pretoria. The two men, both in their 20s, were arrested at a house in Thembisa, police have said.
It followed the death of 46-year-old Fred Picton-Turbervill who was shot in front of his family on 5 January.
The men are due to appear before Pretoria Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with murder and armed robbery. They are also expected to be charged with pointing a firearm.

Police have said the during the arrest of the two men, stolen items were recovered they are now investigating if the two men are linked to a series of other robberies in the area.
Mr Picton-Turbervill, originally from Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, died after a raid at his home in the Waterkloof Ridge area of Pretoria.
The inquiry into his death has been led by Sgt Wimpie Van Den Heever of Brooklyn police station.
In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said: "Two men, one armed with a firearm, entered the Picton-Turbervill property on Saturday night and held the family, including four young children, at gunpoint.
"One of the suspects shot Mr Picton-Turbervill in the head, apparently without any warning and together with his accomplice, made off with 1,000 rand [£75] in cash, cellular phones and a laptop.
"The SAPS's National Crime Intelligence Division worked closely with Sergeant Van den Heever in locating the two suspects.
"Both suspects, in their early 20s were arrested a short while ago at their house in Thembisa.
"Police also discovered stolen items at the suspects' premises, items believed to have been taken in other house robberies.
"Detectives are now investigating the possibility that these men were involved in a spate of robberies."
Mr Picton-Turbervill's funeral was held on Thursday and it is believed his ashes will be scattered grounds of the 12th Century Ewenny Priory, near Bridgend, where his father Richard and stepmother Ann live.
His wife, Ursula, has said she is considering moving to the UK with their children following his death.
Mr Picton-Turbervill's son Jamie, from a previous relationship, was celebrating his 21st birthday in the UK on the day of the shooting.
He flew to South Africa with Mr Picton-Turbervill's mother, Catherine, 78, a Vale of Glamorgan councillor.
Former rugby player Mr Picton-Turbervill, who ran a furniture firm in Lancashire before moving to South Africa, died at hospital in Pretoria an hour after the robbery.

'Robbery likely motive behind murder'
January 14 2008
Police believe robbery could be the motive for the murder of a woman in Parklands. Andiswa Mpumza, 27, was found murdered in her apartment in Parklands, said the police through spokesperson Bernadine Steyn.
"The deceased was found partially clothed on the bedroom floor and had several stab wounds to her neck," she said.
Steyn said there was no sign of forced entry to the flat. However, two cellphones, a TV decoder, a DVD player and a set of keys were missing, leading police to suspect robbery as the motive.
No suspects have been identified yet.

Durban teen shot
January 14 2008
A 15-year-old girl was shot and wounded on a roadside near Durban at the weekend, police said on Monday. Inspector Michael Read said the incident took place on a dusty road in Ntuzuma township at 1.25am on Sunday.
"Three men, one armed with a firearm, confronted the girl and demanded that she take off her earrings," said Read.
"They then shot her in the arm and chest and ran off," he said.
Police said no belongings, including the earrings were taken.
Read said the motive for the shooting is unknown but that police had ruled out the possibility that the men were known to her.

Baby killed during argument
January 13 2008
A four-month-old baby was killed during an argument between her parents in the Machisba area of Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Sunday. It is believed that the mother was holding the baby when her husband assaulted her, said police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Henry Budhram.
"Investigations at the scene had established that the parents of the child had a domestic dispute and the father then assaulted the mother who was carrying the child at the time.
"It would appear that during the assault, the child sustained injuries to the face and died as a result," said Budhram.
The man, 30, was arrested and would appear in the Pietermaritzburg magistrate's court shortly.

Alleged rapist killed by Limpopo mob
January 27 2008 at 12:07PM
A 28-year-old man has been stoned and stabbed to death by an enraged mob at Gavaza village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, the SABC reported on Sunday. The mob accused him of attacking and raping a 72-year-old woman earlier this month.
Police spokesperson Mohale Ramatseba said the victim was cornered while on his way home. He said no one has been arrested and investigations are continuing. He has appealed to people not to take the law into their own hands, but rather contact the police, the SABC said.

Last Updated: Thursday, 24 January 2008, 10:02 GMT
Protests over SA shooting spree
The case has shocked the country and sparked protests
South African police have clashed with protesters at the court appearance of an 18-year-old white man charged with the murder of four slum dwellers. The prosecution alleges that Johan Nel went on a shooting spree in North West Province. Nine others were wounded.
The crowd broke down the main gate of the court house in Swartruggens and threw stones at the armoured police vehicle carrying the accused man. Many residents believe the shooting was racially motivated.
Police say the attack's motive is still under investigation, but the BBC's Mpho Lakaje says the many in the country are shocked at the incident.
The official opposition, The Democratic Alliance, has appealed for the shooting not be politicised.

Roads barricaded
The crowd outside the Swartruggens court chanted: "We want Nel!", the South African Press Association reports. The police car transporting Mr Nel struggled to clear a way through the crowd of protesters at the court gates after his court appearance. Our correspondent says the hearing is due to be followed by a memorial service for the victims, who include two young children. Some residents have complained about racism in the farming area in the past, our reporter says. Last week, about 700 residents of Skielik informal settlement took to the streets, barricading roads with rocks, demanding justice.
The court demonstration was organised by the trade union federation Cosatu who intended to hand over a memorandum pushing for the denial of the suspect's bail application.
However, the case was postponed until 12 February.

Hijackers allegedly hit nun in the face
January 22 2008 at 05:24AM

In what has been described as "military precision", a gang of between 30 and 40 armed hijackers barricaded a main road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in broad daylight at the weekend, stealing four cars in a matter of minutes and viciously beating some of their occupants.
One was a nun based at St Anne's Convent on the South Coast. She told The Mercury on Monday that although she was "grateful to the Lord" that she had survived, she was constantly on the verge of tears.
Another, South Coast property developer Ian Hardman, was equally traumatised. He only spoke to The Mercury to warn others of the danger of travelling on that stretch of road. He said his wife Maria, who was taken to hospital after being beaten and sjambokked, was struggling to deal with what had happened.
Police confirmed that a gang had set up the roadblock at Pitila on the R603, a busy link road between Pietermaritzburg and Amanzimtoti, apparently to hijack cars to burn at the funeral of a local gangster.
'They forced me out while they beat up my wife'
Hardman said that he and his wife were returning from Ladysmith about 5pm when they saw around 15 vehicles - taxis, a couple of bakkies and a Golf - parked alongside and in the road.
"We thought it was an accident so we slowed down. Within seconds, we were jammed in by vehicles. There were between 30 and 40 armed men; it was like a military operation," he said.
"They forced me out while they beat up my wife. They were pummelling her with their hands, hitting her with guns and tearing her jewellery off."
Hardman said his car did not use a key, but a card to start. He kept trying to give them the card but they didn't believe it could be used to start the vehicle. Eventually he started the car. They then threw his wife out and began beating her and sjambokking her.
The couple ran for their lives into the sugarcane fields. They walked until they came across a couple driving past who stopped for them.
'They hurt me, but not as badly as the others'
In the car was Sister Helena, who had been rescued after being hijacked in the same spot. She had been hit in the face.
The couple took them to the Umbumbulu police station. There they came across a third victim - a young woman who had been stabbed in her shoulder.
Hardman said that at Kingsway hospital in Amanzimtoti, where he and his wife were treated for injuries, he had been told by a trauma counsellor that another couple had come in for treatment after being hijacked on the same stretch of road.
In all the incidents, the vehicles were taken. But Hardman's car was found the same day in a nearby village pumped full of bullet holes.
"I assume it stalled and they didn't know how to restart it. So they just shot it up," he said.
Sister Helena could only say there were "many" cars and armed men.
"They took my car, the cross from around my neck and my watch. The only thing they didn't take was my ring," she said.
The couple who had helped her and the police at Umbumbulu were "absolutely marvellous" and had restored her faith in people.
"The police even telephoned the convent on Saturday night to make sure I was all right," she said.
Another victim was correctional services officer Amelia Konstantopolous. She said the gang were wearing orange bibs and appeared to be attending an accident scene.
"As I slowed down, they used a vehicle to crash me off the road. They then assaulted me, hit me with bottles and stabbed me."
She managed to get away and ran up the road where she was rescued by an off-duty police officer.
Police spokesperson Danelia Veldhuizen confirmed that four vehicles had been hijacked.
"All were recovered soon after and are at the police pound."
Investigations had revealed that a notorious car thief had been shot dead and the gang had been intent on stealing cars to burn them at his funeral to "honour him".

Briton shot dead in Kenya dream home
Sunday January 20, 2008
A British man has been shot dead in Kenya after disturbing burglars ransacking the dream retirement home he built overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Graham Warren, from Northampton, and his wife Christine are believed to have surprised a gang when they returned to their home in Watamu, 150 miles north of Mombasa, after dining out with two guests from England on Friday.
The thieves, said to have been armed with sticks and at least one gun, are understood to have ordered members of the party to lie on the ground. Graham Warren, who was in his 60s, was then shot, and he died at the house one hour later.
The murder was not thought to be linked to protests in other parts of Kenya. Five people in a refugee camp in Kenya's Rift Valley were killed on Saturday by opposition supporters in the latest flare-up in one of the regions worst hit by ethnic killings since the disputed election three weeks ago.
Nearly 700 people have been killed since President Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in the election, mostly in police actions against banned protests and attacks on tribes seen as backing him.
The Warrens retired to Kenya three years ago after falling in love with the country and its people during several holidays.
They sold their large detached home in Northampton, along with Mr Warren's business, GS Signs. They bought the three-acre plot of land, between Malindi and Watamu on the Kenyan coast, and began building the retirement home. Warren, who was a keen angler, also bought a share in a fishing boat.
Friend and neighbour Steve Curtis, of the Watamu Residents' Association, said: 'It is a great shock. He loved Kenya and spent two years building his house.' Warren loved to fish in the area, and had spent Friday out fishing with his guests just hours before his death, Curtis added.
Damian Davies, another neighbour who was one of the first on the scene after the shooting, said: 'It's a terrible shock. He was a wonderful man who lived for Kenya. '
The couple's daughter, Sam, who is in her 30s and lives with her husband in Duston, Northampton, was yesterday said to be too upset to talk. She and another relative were due to arrive in Kenya this morning.

Restina Pembroke, who with her husband bought the Warrens' home in Weedon Road, Northampton, in 2004, said: He was such a nice guy. He was a big jovial man, about 6ft tall, and stocky. He struck me as a very honourable man and wanted everything sorted out properly when we bought the house.'
Watamu is a quiet, idyllic area on the north-east coast of Kenya, which has escaped the post-election upsurge of violence. At least 60 British guests are staying in hotels in Watamu, with none reporting any security problems.
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the High Commission in Kenya was in contact with the family and providing assistance.

A 47-year-old man was shot dead while waiting for his son to finish soccer practice at the Balfour Park sports ground, Johannesburg police said on Tuesday.
Captain Bheki Mavundla said the incident happened after 8pm on Monday, along Louis Botha Road.
Three men, one armed with a pistol, attempted to rob a woman who was also waiting for her son. She managed to lock the doors of her car.
The robbers then went to the man's car. A shot was heard and the robbers fled on foot without taking anything.
The man was found shot in the neck and was declared dead on the scene.

Three held after farmer's body found
January 29 2008 at 09:30AM
Three men were arrested for the murder of a Port Shepstone man whose charred body was found in a boot of a car last week, police said on Tuesday.
The body of farmer Daya Moodley, 62, was found on January 23 near Port Shepstone on KwaZulu-Natal's south coast, said Superintendent Zandra Hechter. He had been burnt beyond recognition.
Police on Monday arrested three men in connection with the death.
The suspects, aged between 15 and 22, all reside in the Jesus area of Bhoboyi, several kilometres from Port Shepstone.
Hechter said one of the suspects was employed at Moodley's farm.
"Certain items belonging to the deceased were also confiscated from them and one pointed out the scene of the crime," she said
Police believe the motive for the killing was robbery.

Decomposed body found in house
January 30 2008 at 08:40AM
A decomposed body of a 39-year-old man has been found in a house in Kensington, Cape Town, Western Cape police said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Inspector Bernadine Steyn said the body of Paul de Lange was found on the floor of his bedroom on Tuesday.
His body was found after his family - who had not seen or heard from De Lange for a week - asked the police to accompany them to his house in Meryland Street.
"It seems that entry to the house was gained through a front window that was removed. The house was ransacked and at this stage it is not known whether anything was taken from the house," said Steyn.

Rinda "Poppetjie" Abraham was gunned down in the early hours of Sunday morning in her Waterkloof Ridge home by a gang of robbers.
The attackers shot Abraham through the heart at point blank range in her Aquila Street home.
Three attackers opened fire on the family dog, broke into the home and held Rinda's son, Christo, and his friend, Tinus Claassen, forcing them to move to the lounge. Abraham ran straight into one of the attackers when she heard a gunshot. The man grabbed her around the throat and forced her into the bedroom where her husband was asleep. As her son Reggie came charging out of his bedroom, the gunman spun Abraham around and shot her in the chest before fleeing. The attackers, whose two accomplices were waiting in a getaway car near the house, escaped with only a cellphone.
It is believed that the gang, which allegedly attacked four other homes in the Brooklyn (Pretoria) area on Saturday night, deliberately targets homes that are for sale.
The Abrahams, who have been living in Waterkloof Ridge for nearly two years, were in the process of selling their home.
Fighting back tears while placing a card outside Abraham's office at Kleutermaatjies Pre-school in Centurion, Irene said: "Ek was baie life vir haar." (I loved her so much).
A classmate, Pieter Kotzenberg (4), said: "She was my friend."
School chairman Pastor Danie du Toit said the killing had left the children and staff devastated. "No one can believe it. Rinda, who was called 'ouma' by the children, loved the children as though they were her own.
"She had so much love to give and always lifted people's spirits. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and was always ready to help people," he said.
Du Toit said he did not know how he was going to replace Abraham.
"She has left too much of a hole. She is irreplaceable," he said.
Recalling the 10 minute ordeal, Christo Abraham said he did not know what to think.
"I am numb. I just keep on hearing the gunshot over and over again," he said.
He said the arrests would not make a difference to the family's life.
"They will not bring back my mom. She will never come back to us."
His brother Eric, who was informed by police that they were the fifth house to be attacked in the Brooklyn policing area that night, said he did not understand why the gunman shot his mother.
"My mother was always helping people. She did not deserve this. She did not deserve to die like this," he said, adding that if she had died of an illness or in a car smash he would be able to get closure.
A police spokesperson, Captain Prince Mokhabela, confirmed that five people, including a woman, had been arrested in Tembisa and Daveyton on the East Rand. He said police had recovered two guns and ammunition. Mokhabela said that the five would appear in the Pretoria magistrate's court today on charges of murder and armed robbery.

Child throttled during robbery: witness
January 29 2008 at 08:59AM
'Please leave my daddy's things alone." This was what a tearful five-year-old girl begged robbers before they allegedly throttled the child and left her for dead.
Ntombini Mweli, a domestic worker, was testifying against David Papi Matladi, 37, who stands accused on charges of attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of kidnapping and charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
He has pleaded not guilty.
In his plea explanation, Matladi told the Johannesburg High Court he was standing outside the complex in Senderwood, Bedfordview, and was waiting for someone to offer him a piece job. He said he did not enter the complex but was incorrectly arrested as one of the perpetrators.
However, Mweli testified that, during the robbery on March 22 2006, Matladi and his accomplice, who is still at large, choked her employer's five-year-old daughter, Lee van der Merwe, and, believing she was dead, bundled her into a wardrobe......

Youths held for Franschhoek murder
January 30 2008 at 06:27PM
Three youths were arrested on Wednesday after the decomposing body of a 81-year-old woman was found at her house in Franschhoek, police said.
Spokesperson Inspector Bernadine Steyn said the boys aged between 16 and 18 were arrested around 11.30am.
Jana de Korte's body was found by her neighbours on a garage floor.
"It seems that the deceased sustained wounds to her head, possibly inflicted by a blunt object. She lived alone and was last seen in the afternoon of January 24."
Steyn said it seemed that entry to the house was gained through an open bedroom window at the back of the house.
"The house was ransacked and at this stage it seems that a laptop is missing. We are still in the process of determining whether anything else was taken from the house," she said
The three face charges of murder and rape, and would appear in the Paarl Magistrate's Court on Thursday

Rape-accused cop to remain in custody
January 30 2008 at 08:32PM
Police constable Solomon Yende appeared for the second time in the Amersfoort magistrate's court on Wednesday, charged with the rape of two children, Mpumalanga police said.
Stationed at Amersfoort police, Yende, 31, allegedly raped two girls aged and 11 and nine at his late grandmother's house last Sunday.
"The case has been postponed until February 4th. He is still in custody and will be applying for bail," said Superintendent Abie Khoabane.
After the 11-year-old alerted her parents, Yende was arrested at a local tavern where he had been drinking.
Khoabane said police had completed an internal investigation and the documents would be sent to the provincial police commissioner to implement internal disciplinary procedures.

Tongue-less rapist is sentenced
January 31 2008 at 07:13AM
A rapist whose tongue was bitten off by his victim was on Wednesday sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 10 years behind bars.
Pretoria regional court magistrate Adriaan Bekker ordered that these sentences run concurrently.
Lazarus Petrus Mnguni, 33, of Mpumalanga, was earlier found guilty of raping a 30-year-old woman three times in December 2005.
Bekker explained that the Minimum Sentence Act prescribed 10 years' imprisonment for a single charge of rape.
Where a victim had been raped more than once by the same accused, was a minor or the victim of a gang rape, the case had to be transferred to the High Court where a life sentence could be imposed.
However, an amendment to this Act last month gives regional court magistrates the jurisdiction to also give life sentences in such cases.
Bekker on Wednesday told Mnguni: "You showed no remorse, still denying that you raped her."
He said the woman was 1.4m tall and weighed only 43kg, and therefore it was easy for the accused to drag her into the bushes and rape her
When Mnguni raped her a third time, the victim bit off about 3cm of his tongue and ran away. Police notified hospitals, and when the suspect sought help in Groblersdal, he was arrested.
During sentencing on Wednesday, the magistrate said rape was a brutal violation of a person's physical integrity.
"Violent crimes are not decreasing and the community wants justice, a sentence that is a warning to others. Rape is violence against women and nothing else," Bekker said.
He sentenced Mnguni to 10 years in jail for the first rape and two life sentences for the other two. The accused listened to his fate with an expressionless face.
His defence was that he had consensual sex with the complainant, but, while kissing her, she suddenly bit off part of his tongue. - Hanti Otto

Man held for Howick murder
January 30 2008 at 06:11PM
A 32-year man has been arrested for allegedly murdering a 30-year-old woman near Howick, police said on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Henry Budhram said the woman's body was found by a passerby in a forest near the small settlement of Curry's Post, north of Howick, on Tuesday.
The woman, who was not fully clothed, had been found with her legs and hands tied with a belt and she had open wounds to the head.Budhram said the fact that the woman was partly naked indicated that she may have been raped. A post mortem would be held shortly.
The man was arrested at Mpopomeni near Pietermaritzburg late Tuesday evening and was expected to appear in the Howick Magistrate's Court on Friday. Budhram said he did not believe the death was linked to killer, known as the "Sleepy Hollow" murderer, who is known to have killed at least 13 women in and around Pietermaritzburg.

Principal terrorised at school
January 30 2008 at 12:25PM
Parents and teachers at Bryanston Primary School were left reeling this morning by an early robbery in which the head of the pre-school was terrorised.
Principal Johannes Mouton said the incident had happened shortly before 7am when two armed men - pretending to be parents - had entered the
school premises and headed for the pre-school offices.
Once there, he said, the men held up Cheryl de Mello, a teacher and pre-school head, before they made off with a laptop. No shots were fired
and none of the children was affected by the robbery.

Although the principal didn't want to give more details, saying he would need to speak to the Gauteng Education Department first, he was overheard telling parents that De Mello was fine but traumatised.

"Every day we hear of the most unusual and outrageous crimes but when something like this happens - at places supposed to be safe havens, such as schools, where children are typically soft targets - it is of great concern," said parent Paul de Bereux.

February 04 2008 at 02:47PM
Two men have been arrested in connection with the burning of six Pretoria Metrorail trains, the SA Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) announced on Monday.
"Two men have been arrested. They have already appeared in court," SARCC spokesperson Pule Mabe told reporters at a press conference in Pretoria.
Mabe would not divulge further details.
Referring to the reduced restoration of trains along the Mabopane-Pretoria and De Weldt-Pretoria line, Mabe said that this had been done successfully and buses had been deployed in most of the affected areas to help transport commuters.

Angry commuters burnt six Metrorail trains in Pretoria after power cuts delayed trains for more than two hours on January 19.
Trains were burnt at Pretoria North, Winternest, Acacia Boom and Wolmerton stations.
Estimated damage to the lines were R2,5-million and R150-million was needed to replace damaged rolling stock