The rape of a teen, allegedly by an employee of a child and youth care centre in KZN, has shocked MEC Weziwe Thusi.
|||Durban - The rape of a 15-year-old girl, allegedly by an employee of a child and youth care centre in KwaZulu-Natal, has shocked Social Development MEC Weziwe Thusi.
As the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign began on Monday, Thusi expressed concern at the ongoing rapes in the province.
The MEC said she had ordered the suspension of the facility employee after learning of Thursday’s incident.
“I am disappointed and angry that this happened in our facility where vulnerable children are supposed to feel safe.
“It is really tragic that she has (allegedly) been raped by someone who was supposed to protect her. I must commend our officials who sprang into action when this matter came to light as well as the police who responded on time,” she said.
Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, confirmed that a case of rape was being investigated.
Zwane said a 53-year-old man had been arrested and charged, and had appeared in the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Thusi said the abuse of vulnerable women and children had to come to an end, saying the only way was to speak out against abuse.
An internal investigation into the incident was also in progress, Thusi said.
“I want to know how something like this could happen in our facility. The probe will also help us identify any security gaps in the system so that we can address them and ensure that something like this never happens again.”
Social Development spokeswoman, Ncumisa Fandesi, said the department was still trying to establish the circumstances of the incident.
mpume.madlala@inl.co.za
Daily News
