The two minor girls testified in camera.

“They told the court that their biological parents are divorced, and the mother left them with their father. Around 2022, in Letsitele, their remedial teacher gave them homework to write her a letter about what made them happy or sad. This exercise ultimately exposed the brutal abuse they were subjected to at their home,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

The minor girls disclosed to the teacher how they were assaulted and sexually abused by their own father and his friends.

“Some days they were raped by Zimbabwean men who were employed by the father at the farm, after he failed to pay them their salaries. The Zimbabwean men are still at large,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

“In other incidents, the victims used to visit the accused three (Roux’s) family at their farm and they would swim together with the accused men’s three children. On those occasions, the accused man would join XT and TX with other children.

“He would then suggest that TX goes to the deep side of the dam. The accused number three would then forcefully take her to the deep side and rape her. On another day, he would take XT to the same spot and rape her,” according to the NPA.

The State also led evidence of a forensic social worker, a forensic nurse, who examined the two victims and a J88 report was also handed to the court.

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“During the trial, XT and TX testified that their father forced them to watch while he was laying on top of his lover, doing ‘silly things’,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

After their conviction, the two men mitigated their sentences, arguing that the children were brainwashed and that is why they were implicating them.

The case was postponed to May for sentencing.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL