The man accused of raping two young Galeshewe girls was apparently last seen in the company of the children on the evening before the alleged incident occurred.
This is according to Connie Sethlale who testified during the trial of Moses Monnapule in the Northern Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Monnapule, 45, is accused of kidnapping and raping the two girls, aged six and eight years at the time, in his shanty in Madiba Square in June 2015.
It is alleged that he lured the girls from their homes and kept them overnight inside his shanty where he raped them.
Monnapule has denied the charges against him.
According to Sethlale, she saw the children playing next to a house located on the corner of their street on the evening of June 27, 2015.
“There was a open veld near the house. The two girls and my grandchild were playing together. It was about 6pm in the evening and it was getting dark. I was on my way to my brother’s place and as I passed the children I told them to go home as it was getting late. I walked off and went to my brother,” Sethlale said.
She said that when she returned later she found the children still playing at the same spot.
“When I got back the children were still there playing. My grandson went home. I went home and saw a man standing by the children. I was first under the impression that it was the father of one of the girls. I only later saw that it was the accused standing with them.
“I went closer and again told the girls to go home. The accused told the girls to listen to me and to go home. I went back into my yard and left the girls there.”
Sethlale said she was woken the next day by the parents of the two girls, who were looking for them.
“The mother of one of the girls came to my house at about 5am the next morning. She asked me whether the girls had spent the night at my house. She said they had been looking for the children the entire night. I told her that I last saw the children with the accused.
“The two fathers of the girls and some community members then went o the accused’s shanty in search of the girls. I remained behind with some of the other community members,” she said.
The trial continues.