Mfuleni father, Horatius Dani, who was falsely accused of raping his five-year-old daughter, says his life is in now tatters and his future looks bleak.
He was arrested after the principal at Parliament Primary School, Bram Mhlom and the child’s school teacher, whose name could not be confirmed by Vukani, levelled accusations of rape against him.
But Mfuleni police spokesperson captain Nomathemba Muavha said the Family, Child and Sexual Offences Unit at the station had investigated the allegations, but because they could not be substantiated, no criminal case was opened.
The 40-year-old Rastafarian father told Vukani that around 4am on Saturday January 14, he got a surprise visit from a detective who told him that he had been accused of raping his daughter.
Shocked and unsure what to say, Mr Dani was instructed by the detective to get dressed.
The detective then took Mr Dani and his daughter to Karl Bremer Hospital for medical examinations.
At the hospital, he said, the doctor performed the DNA test and informed them that the child had not been raped, and there were no signs of forced penetration or injuries near the girl’s vagina which indicated sexual abuse.
He said the doctor wrote a letter stating that he had conducted the test and that there was nothing wrong with the child, adding that if they needed a second opinion they could approach a local clinic.
Mr Dani said he had been puzzled when the detective informed him of the accusations.
He said when he visited Mr Mhlom to find out about the claims levelled against him, they got into an argument when the principal refused to clear his name.
He said despite him showing Mr Mhlom the letter he obtained from the hospital, the principal still maintained that he had raped his child.
Mr Dani said a few weeks ago a group of people carrying pangas and other dangerous weapons marched to his house, threatening to kill him and burn his two-roomed shack, saying that they would not live with a rapist.
He added that even the Rastafariancommunity had gathered at his house demanding that he should cut his hair and distance himself from them.
Mr Dani said the principal even called a parents’ meeting where he informed them that he had raped his daughter even though he had not been found guilty.
He said he planned to sue them and he will never find inner peace until they pay for the trauma they had put him through.
Mr Dani makes a living through selling pies and fruits, but since the rape accusation, people are no longer buying his products.
“These people concocted these accusations against me and I would really like to know what did they want to achieve by doing that.
“I’m a single parent raising my children and why would I do that? The honest truth is my child is traumatised and she often asked me why was she taken to the hospital,” he said.
He said he wanted to move his daughter to another school, but the principal is refusing to write a clearance letter and a transfer.
When Vukani contacted Mr Mhlom, he refused to comment and directed us to the Western Cape Education Department who said they were still investigating the matter.
