Durban - A mother who allegedly “sold” her 14-year-old daughter into marriage appeared in the Hammarsdale Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The 36-year-old woman was arrested on Friday in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. She and her husband had allegedly accepted 15 sheep in exchange for their daughter to be abducted for marriage to a 26-year-old man from the same area in January.
The woman, her husband and the man, who been arrested earlier, applied for bail on Monday. The application was opposed by the investigating officer, Sergeant Thulani Khumalo.
The case was adjourned to Thursday. According to an earlier statement by police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, the girl had begged her mother to let her come back home, but she had told the girl to stick it out because she was in her new home with her “husband” who would take care of her.
However, the girl, who had allegedly been raped, persisted.
The mother collected her from the “husband’s” homestead and took her to Hammarsdale, where he lived, to be closer to work, saying the girl should tell the man to his face that she wanted out of the marriage.
When they arrived, the mother allegedly left her daughter there.
Zwane said the girl had been found by a neighbour, who took her in. When the “husband” found her and allegedly beat her, police were called. She had allegedly been raped at least four times.
The girl is being kept at a place of safety.
Daily News