A 53-year-old KZN mom from Matiwaneskop, a settlement near Ladysmith, has been arrested and charged with human trafficking and aiding in the alleged rape of her 15-year-old daughter.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele detailed the testimony of the teen victim who, after weeks of torment, found the courage to approach authorities and inform them of the horrors she suffered at the hands of her mother.
KZN mom arrested for trafficking daughter
In her statement, the 15-year-old stated that her nightmare started on 1 December 2020, “when the young girl’s mother had arranged for her to go visiting a family friend in Johannesburg.”
To entice her about the four-hour trip, her mother allegedly dangled the prospect of receiving new clothes, a smartphone and a gold tooth from this family friend.
The young and naive teen was accompanied to Johannesburg where she was introduced to a number of unknown men, who were acquaintances of the family friend.
“This man allegedly raped her the whole night and in the morning he took her back to her relative’s place. At the house she witnessed this man giving her relative some money which she then went into the house to count it,” Col. Mbele wrote in a statement.
A stroke of luck saves the teen
It’s unclear how long the teen stayed in Johannesburg but, a while after the alleged night of assault, she bumped into two girls she recognised from Matiwaneskop who were instrumental in helping her return home.
“When she arrived home she was scared to inform anyone what occurred to her. She later formed courage to report the incident at Elandslagte SAPS Police station and charges of human trafficking and rape were opened for investigation,” Mbele added.
A short while into the investigation and already, KZN police have filed human trafficking and rape charges against the teen’s mom. She was placed under arrest on Wednesday, “while at her homestead at Matiwaneskop.”
The woman is due to appear before the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court on Friday.