A South African man has been arraigned before the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s court on Tuesday, August 14, for allegedly raping his neighbor’s pregnant goat.
According to information gathered, the suspect, 33, would remain in custody until his next court appearance at a date to be determined later.
The suspect was arrested on charges of bestiality on Friday morning after he allegedly raped the female goat the previous evening.
His neighbour, and owner of the goat, Knowledge Khumalo said he heard the goat making strange noises around 20:00 on the evening in question.
When he woke up the next morning, he went to check in on the kraal and found the goat was missing.
“I went around the community looking for the goat without any success,” said Khumalo. “Later when I returned home, I found the goat was back. However, it looked unwell.”
As he was examining the goat, a man approached Khumalo and asked whether he was the goat’s owner.
“He then told me that he had been at the suspect’s shack that morning and had found the goat in his bed,” said Khumalo.
Community members, including CPF members, later converged at the suspect’s shack where they confronted him.
The man is said to be bricklayer by profession and was reportedly paid R4 500 earlier on the day of the alleged rape for work.
“He must have drank a lot,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said he was shattered to see the raped goat in such a sad state.
“I felt I should have done something to protect the goat,” he said.
The goat has been taken in by the SPCA for medical treatment.
SPCA inspector Mishack Matlou said the incident was the “highest form of animal cruelty he has experienced”.
“As the SPCA, we want to call on the judiciary to take tough action against cases of cruelty against animals”
