Ceres – praag.org

Arrest made in Cape baby-rape case

A man will appear in the Ceres Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with the rape of a four-month-old baby and seven-year-old boy, Western Cape police said.

Lt-Col Andre Traut said the 25-year-old man, a local farmworker, was arrested on Wednesday.

“Crimes against children are regarded our top priority, and we will not relax any of our efforts when a suspect in this regard is sought,” he said.

“We are pleased with the outcome of our investigations so far and would like to extend our appreciation to the Ceres community who assisted us during the recent weeks.”

The baby had been sleeping in bed with her parents when a man snatched and raped her on August 3, provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer said at the time.

A boy in the same house was also raped.

On Tuesday, the ANC Women’s League said the baby was recovering from her fourth reconstructive surgery operation.

“The rape of these children is not only disheartening, but a horrendous and inhumane act that should be condemned unrelentingly and consistently by all in society,” ANCWL spokeswoman Nosipho Ntwanambi said.

Ntwanambi said the league would continue organising protests calling for men who committed sexual offences to be removed from society.

A 32-year-old man was arrested previously, but released because he could not be linked to the case. – Sapa

Cape baby-rape victim recovering after reconstructive surgery

A four-month-old baby is recovering from her fourth operation since being raped in Ceres, in the Western Cape, the ANC Women’s League said on Tuesday.

“We are pleased with the reports that she is steadily recovering after undergoing reconstructive surgery,” said ANCWL spokeswoman Nosipho Ntwanambi.

“The rape of these children is not only disheartening, but a horrendous and inhumane act that should be condemned unrelentingly and consistently by all in society.”

The baby had been sleeping in bed with her parents when a man snatched and raped her on August 3, provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer said at the time.

A seven-year-old boy in the same house was also raped.

Police took a 32-year-old man in for questioning, but he was released.

The African National Congress Women’s League urged the police to use all their resources to arrest the man responsible for the crimes.

Ntwanambi said the league would continue organising protests calling for men who committed sexual offences to be removed from society. – Sapa

Ceres child-rape suspect released

A man taken into police custody for questioning in connection with the rape of a four-month-old baby girl and a seven-year-old boy has been released.

The suspect was arrested on Monday after the children were sexually assaulted on a farm in Ceres at the weekend.

Western Cape police’s Andre Traut said the man was released on Tuesday night after being interrogated for 24 hours.

“We’ll continue our search for the suspect and we’re making an appeal to the public to assist us. They can call Crime Stop on 080 600 1011.”

Traut said authorities are still searching for at least one more man who they want to question in connection with the assault.

Sniffer dogs will also be taken to the farm where the incident occurred to search for clues.

Police have since released an identikit of the suspect.

Meanwhile, the mother of the seven-year-old boy told Eyewitness News she is heartbroken.

The woman, a distraught mother of five, sobbed bitterly saying she is not coping well.

She said her son has had nightmares following the incident and added that the boy hasn’t been speaking much.

The child has since left his mother’s home and is staying with relatives in a nearby farm at the moment.

Warning to rapists

Western Cape Police Commissioner Arno Lamoer on Tuesday issued a stern warning to rapists, saying the man responsible for this incident would be brought to book.

Lamoer said he’s confident there will be a breakthrough in this case as investigators are working tirelessly to track down the suspects.

He said some of his best officers are working on the case, including members of the visible policing and tracking units.

The police commissioner later added the incident left him sickened.

Farmlabour threaten more militant protests

: Smoke rises from burning farms in the Ceres valley

Farmworkers on Sunday threatened to go back to the streets if their demand of a R150 minimum wage was not heeded.

The Coalition of Farm Worker Representatives said that the strike by farmworkers had been suspended until government made a determination on the minimum wage.

“We have given the government until 4 December to institute the minimum wage of R150 per day and to concede to our other demands that farmworker are in the process of gathering.

“If they do not do so, 4 December will see the intensification of protest actions, both in scope and in militancy,” said the organisation’s spokesperson Billy Xabela.

He said the organisation rejected views that the strike in the Western Cape farms was the outcome of interventions by outside forces.

“We recognise that some workers have decided to return to work for now and some to continue striking.

“Our immediate task is to support farmworkers whether they are back at work or still striking.” Xabela said government both at national and provincial level had “consistently” listened to the farmers rather than the farmworkers.

“To date it is only the minister of agriculture that has shown an interest in the protests of the farmworkers.”

Police

He condemned the behaviour of the police during the strike and said they conducted themselves as “thugs”.

The organisation also demanded the release of farmworkers who had been arrested for intimidation and public violence during the strike. Over the weekend, police continued to monitor areas of the Western Cape which had been affected by the protests of striking farmworkers.

On Friday, protesters looted shops and torched businesses in the Hex River Valley and roads in the province, including the N2, were blockaded with rocks and burning tyres.

Protests over wages in the province spread across the Boland, with table grape harvesters demanding to be paid R150 a day. Most earned between R69 and R75 a day.

The labour department met with various farmers’ unions on Friday and negotiations are set to start on Thursday.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration would mediate the talks.

The department called for interested parties to comment on a possible review of the sectoral determination for farmworkers, which prescribes minimum wages and conditions of employment.

About 300 farmworkers who went on strike in Wolseley in the Western Cape returned to work on Friday, according to the SA National Civic Organisation.

Provincial general secretary Vusi Myeki said the workers agreed to suspend the strike for at least two weeks pending a decision on the farmworkers’ minimum wage. – Sapa