Residents angered by child rapists

In the second section of a three-part series on child rape, the Cape Times explores the impact of the attacks on the children and their families. Three health centres in the province have raised the alarm about the increasing vulnerability of children, with at least two minors raped a day in the past three months.

Cape Town - A group of children in school uniform walk hand-in-hand making their way home, while others fling small stones at one another. Joy fills faces as children eat ice-cream in the sweltering heat.

But this is no ordinary street.

This is where two young children were raped a month apart - with one of them being killed.

The two 10-year-old girls were neighbours.

The quiet dirt road is unassuming - children walk along it to and from school every day, many of them alone or with minimal parental supervision. Some children walk together in groups.

One barefoot boy runs down the street waving a toy gun, while others - some so small they look like they could buckle under the weight of their school bags - pass by on their way home from their schools.

A mother, holding a baby, stands at the gate to her home, while her toddler son plays in the street.

But the Gugulethu community is up in arms after the two rapes.

Some say that not enough is being done to convict child rapists.

In August, the body of 10-year-old Chelsea Godlo was discovered under her grandfather’s bed.

Three of her uncles have appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court in connection with her rape and murder.

Chelsea had been missing for just over 24 hours when her body was discovered.

Last month, it emerged that another 10-year-old had also been raped.

The community has tried to heal its wounds by rallying around the families.

“We went up and down, street-by-street looking for (Chelsea). We went to NY114, but there was nothing. Eventually someone told us that we must look in the bin,” said a resident who did not want to be identified. Chelsea’s body was not there.

Eventually, Chelsea was found dead under her grandfather’s bed.

The case against her uncles has been postponed to October 17.

Residents have frequently gone to Wynberg to stage protests outside the court building.

But since the start of that court case, it has emerged that a 10-year-old girl who lived in the same street has also been raped - close to where Chelsea once lived.

A man was arrested on September 17.

Resident Bhulwana Sam said the community was shocked at what had happened and feared for other children.

“We are really angry. We don’t want evil things among us. Something needs to be done about these people,” Sam said.

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Cape Times

• The rape of our nation