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Angel weeps

In January, residents discovered that the 28-year old man, a taxi driver, had been raping his nine-year old sister for months. An angry mob turned on him, stoning him to death.

Now it has emerged the girl’s other brother, an unemployed 26-year old, has been taking her and her grandmother’s social grants – worth a combined R1400 – and squandering it on himself.

The Grade 4 schoolgirl has been living with her 75-year-old grandmother and her brother since her mother died in a car accident a few years ago.

The family live in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.

A distant relative said the frail grandmother had suffered two strokes since the rape.

“She is unable to talk, but the granny knows when it’s pay day and expects the money to be in her hand. But once he [the 26-year-old man] receives the grant of both the child and the granny, he simply uses it on buying alcohol and drugs,” the relative said.

“The granny is not happy and she simply cries. She is drinking black tea because there is no more money to buy milk and food for the house.”

The relative said the girl and her grandmother relied on neighbours for daily provisions, but this could not continue forever. She also feared that the mob would turn on the second brother.

Social development spokesman Gcobani Maswana said a social worker had been assigned to the case.

“It’s government policy to build a caring society. Emotional abuse of the elderly and children has to stop. We will utilise the services of social workers who can channel the funds to the right recipients,” Maswana said.

Clinical psychologist Ian Meyer said the girl – who is haunted by the rape – suffered from rape trauma syndrome. She wets her bed and is often moody.

May said she also lived in fear because she had been let down by relatives and community members.

“She feels the adult person in her life who was supposed to protect her has done this to her. She is living in absolute fear because she feels anyone can now violate her. It’s also possible she feels guilty after her brother was stoned to death by members of the community,” he said.

The relative pleaded with the community to give a helping hand to the needy family.

“It's painful to see them like this.

“Her bedding is always wet, as if someone has deliberately poured a bucket of water. I suspect major damage has happened to her womb.

“The granny is also like a baby who needs constant supervision,” she said.

Comments

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Wed Jun 19 20:46:49 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 11, 2012

tumzangwana

the way children are abused by their family members i think it will be a good idea not to have one so as to spare her the pain and sh!t of this world.
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Jul 11, 2012

MommaC

"She also feared that the mob would turn on the second brother"

May not be the worst outcome.
Why the hell is social services not protecting this poor child and her gogo? Does it ALWAYS have to get into the Sowetan before anything is done?
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Jul 11, 2012

Mellow

Ooohhh please call that mob again to finish this one off mara how do you do such a thing to your own blood its cruel man yerrr
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Jul 11, 2012

Knan

This bastar.d ha ena pelo, i am going to inform the commuity today, they are going to hang him by his balls
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Jul 11, 2012

Memme

You know being a mother to a girl child myself and reading this kind of stories breaks my heart and i just don't know what to think anymore about these people who are busy raping and raping. But in this case it's a relief cause he was killed, i just wish all the rapists can get the same punishment.

Gogo and the girl's story is very painful, i wish they can get all the help the need so that this culprit called a brother could be disciplined as well.
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Jul 11, 2012

Naked

@Mellow
Ooohhh please call that mob again to finish this one off
_____________________________________________________
HOW would that help the situation? Gogo this time wont have a stroke but she will die of heart attack...rather Social services come to therescue of gogo and the little one and be put in a shelter or something. As for the brother he must be arrested.

Poor little girl - its hard.
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Jul 11, 2012

BaleliM

Our biggest enemy in life is not the unknown people but rather those that we know and probably share a meal with.

what a sad state for a young child to be going through and like i have always said, chop the damn thing off!!
Not even a bullet will stop me going after a man that will do anything to my kids since the law gives these men rights after they have taken the rights of innocent kids.
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Jul 11, 2012

tumzangwana

BaleliM
Our biggest enemy in life is not the unknown people but rather those that we know and probably share a meal with.
;;;;;;;;;;

thats what scares the living sh!t out of me. its not the strangers, its the relatives you have to be wary of. heck you cant even trust doting grandfathers with your kids anymore.

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Jul 11, 2012

Ntumbane

Where is this Sowetan?I mean the area becasue Social service officials in that area are part of this problem.If a grant recipient cannot walk to the pay point the officials are send to that particular recipient and give him/her dues.Why is this not happening in this Granny`s case? How is the grandson able to access both grants without any difficulty?I also suspect something is very wrong with this family.I think this family is one of those you get a tomato, an onion and a potato in one bag because surely if this surviving brother is treating his same flesh and blood like this then he leaves a lot to be desired.Yes the girl`s mother died in a car accident but where is her father? Where are the other relatives of this family?
Killing this is other brother will just worsen the granny`s medical condition as she has already suffered 2 strokes since the stoning of another brother.Lets pray for the better.
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Jul 11, 2012

WebTeam

@all
Updated: The family live in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality

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