High court to decide on rape trial
The siblings aged, 19 and 17, who live in Mandulo village near the Swaziland and Mozambican border, were not asked to plead to charges of rape when they appeared in the Tonga Magistrate's Court on Friday, a Sapa correspondent reported.
Previously, the court heard that the father of the alleged victim reported the case to the police because he did not like the 19-year-old accused.
During the youth's bail application, Detective Constable Octavia Makhubela told the court the teenager was in Grade Nine and cared for two younger siblings, aged 11 and 15.
She testified that the 19-year-old's father died a long time ago, leaving the children with their mentally ill mother, who no longer lived with them.
She pleaded with the court to grant the teenager bail so he could return to his siblings.
She said that on the night of the alleged rape the complainant slept at the accused's house and did not report anything when she arrived home the following morning.
The accused was initially granted bail of R1000, but this was reduced to R500 after he repeatedly failed to raise the money.
The second accused in the matter was arrested last month and added to the case. He is out on a warning.
On Friday, the case was postponed to January 21 for the high court's decision.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)