By Vuyisie Ngesi
The key witness in the Baby Tshepang trial has managed to take the stand.
Lya Booysen, 22, broke down on Monday as she prepared to tell the Upington High Court what she had witnessed in October.
She said that her boyfriend David Potse had gone out, and she went to Griet van Wyk's house to look for him. Van Wyk's house is where Baby Tshepang lived with her mother.
"I found him in the house with John Radebe (one of the six men who were initially accused of the rape).
"Potse told me to go home after I insisted that we leave together. I left alone. "
Just before 1.30am Potse had still not returned home, so Booysen went to look for him at Van Wyk's home.
"I went to one of the bedrooms and because it was dark in the room, I lit a match. I saw my boyfriend in the dark room."
The baby was lying on the bed on her back and Potse was on top of her. Another young child was asleep in the room, Booysen told the court.
"His trousers were lowered to the knees and his underwear was partly taken off... I could see his buttocks."
Booysen became emotional and started to cry.
"He was in an up-and-down motion while the baby was lying below him.
"I lit another match, that's when he turned and looked straight into my face before turning away, and continuing to rape the baby," she testified.
Booysen said she went back into the house again to make sure she really had witnessed her boyfriend raping the baby.
"I didn't speak out about it because I was very scared since he used to beat me up."
Booysen told the prosecutor that while she still loved Potse, and was still his girlfriend, she could not keep the matter to herself anymore and tried to ask him about what he had done.
The court heard on Tuesday that Potse was also in a relationship with Baby Tshepang's mother while he was living with Booysen.
The trial continues.