McKeed Kotlolo

McKeed Kotlolo

One of two Limpopo men charged with the rape of a 14-year-old girl six years ago told a Groblersdal regional court how he was found "pants down" by his girlfriend.

Masuku Hendrick Matlanato, 27, and Johannes Skhosana, 24, both of Malebitsa village in Moutse, have pleaded not guilty to abducting a teenage girl from a tavern and raping her at a nearby unoccupied house on December 12 2002.

Skhosana told regional court magistrate Mark Botha yesterday how his girlfriend found him kneeling over the half naked teenage girl. He denied raping the girl and said the two met outside a tavern that evening.

"We hugged and kissed each other. We both became aroused and I asked her that we go to an unoccupied house just opposite the tavern," Skhosana said.

We hugged and kissed each other. We both became aroused - rape suspect

He said on arrival they continued to kiss. He asked her to undress. She allegedly took off her jeans, laid them on the ground and "laid on her back" on the pants.

"I then lowered my trousers and knelt over her and before I could do anything, my girlfriend arrived and asked me what I was doing," Skhosana said.

He said the teenage girl jumped and fled the scene while he tried to convince his girlfriend that nothing had happened between him and the girl. He told the court that he spent about two hours trying to convince her.

Meanwhile, Skhosana's highly expectant girlfriend Minky Belinda Tswago, who was initially supposed to be a witness for the state, appeared for the defence.

She denied any knowledge of a statement she allegedly made to police. She claimed police did not take notes during a visit to her home.

'The teenager fled. I tried to convince my girlfriend that nothing had happened'

They returned a second time with two pages "which he told me to sign because others had also signed theirs. I did not read it nor did he read it to me." Both the state and defence closed their cases and Botha postponed the case to today for arguments and possible sentencing.