The statutory rape case against a 28-year-old Limpopo man accused of impregnating a 13-year-old girl took a surprising turn on Monday.
Ditebogo Frans Gololo appeared in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court, where he was released on R1 500 bail.
The court heard that Gololo was not the father of the 13-year-old girl’s child.
“The state has obtained DNA results, and those results exclude the accused as the father of the said child. This matter has been postponed. We cannot say exactly what will happen in the next court appearance,” NPA Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhagi told SABC.
Although it was revealed that Gololo did not impregnate the teenager, he still faces the statutory rape charge.
The matter was postponed to 5 May.
Statutory rape case
Gololo was arrested on 26 December 2024, facing a charge of statuary rape, after he was accused of impregnating a 13-year-old girl in Seshego.
The girl was among those who gave birth on Christmas Day.
According to Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, reports alleged the victim and the suspect met at a shopping complex in Seshego in January 2024 and began communicating until they allegedly became intimate in May 2024.
“The girl only revealed the incident to her aunt after experiencing complications, and later in November 2024, medical tests confirmed she was eight months pregnant, thus ultimately giving birth to a baby boy on Christmas Day, 25 December 2024,” said Mashaba.
The police were informed about the incident, and a statutory rape case was registered for further investigations.
On 30 December 2024, Gololo made his first appearance in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court.
The court appearance was attended by the MEC for Health, Dieketseng Mashego and MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye, Deputy Minister of Police Polly Boshielo and the executive mayor of Capricorn District Municipality, Mamedupi Teffo.
Since then, Gololo has remained in custody until now, when he was released on bail following the DNA test results.
Authorities are reportedly now hunting for the father of the child.
The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Hadebe, has called on parents to always protect their children.
Police in Limpopo have been investigating cases where children are sexually molested throughout the province since the case of the 13-year-old came to light.
