Limpopo father and friend sentenced for rape of minor daughters

The Polokwane High Court, Limpopo has sentenced a father [39] to life imprisonment for the rape, sexual exploitation, and assault of his two minor daughters, aged 9 and 11 at the time of the crimes.

His 36-year-old friend, a co-accused, was sentenced to two life terms for two counts of rape. To protect the victims’ identities, the perpetrators’ names are withheld.

A third accused, 68-year-old Diedrick Schannes Roux, died by suicide before the trial began.

The victims, now aged 11 and 13, endured horrific abuse around 2022 at farms in the Letsitele area, Mopani, where the accused rented properties.

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The girls, referred to as XT and TX, lived with their father after their parents’ divorce. Their mother had left them in his care. The abuse came to light when their remedial teacher assigned a homework task to write about what made them happy or sad.

The girls’ letters revealed brutal assaults and sexual abuse by their father, his friend, and others, including Zimbabwean farm workers, allegedly paid by the father. These workers, who remain at large, reportedly paid the father to assault the girls.

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The victims described multiple incidents:

The father raped and assaulted both daughters, forcing them to watch him engage in sexual acts with his partner, claiming it was “silly things.”

His friend raped the girls during visits to his farm, where they swam with his children. He lured them to the deep end of a dam, raping TX on one occasion and XT on another.

The abuse occurred at a property chillingly named “Half Human Farm,” reflecting the inhumane treatment endured by the victims.

The accused pleaded not guilty to most charges, except for two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.