Xolelwa Garhishe, one of four Whittlesea women accused of trafficking a 12-year-old girl and selling her for sex in 2016, has denied being involved in the alleged crime.
“I never forced her to sleep with older men and I never saw her engage in any sexual activity as I was never present,” she testified in the Komani magistrate’s court on Thursday.
Garhishe, together with co-accused Yolanda Klaas, Zintle Tom and Nwabisa Kaziwa has pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking in persons for social purposes, sexual exploitation of a child, and failing to report the sexual exploitation of a child.
Their co-accused, Harum Mohammed, faces a rape charge for allegedly sleeping with the child.
The five have been in custody since November 2016.
An emotional Klaas could not contain her tears on seeing her mother in the courtroom.
She wept uncontrollably, prompting her mother and relatives to offer hugs and kisses.
The case, which initially drew much attention, has lost the interest of locals, many of whom used to come to support the victim. This week only family members and friends of the five accused were present.
Responding to state prosecutor Nkosinathi Faxa’s question on whether she and her co-accused were prostitutes, Garhishe admitted all were prostitutes, except for Klaas.
Garhishe said the victim came to their house (known as eGagasini) three times, looking for Sibongile Nogenge.
She later changed her statement, stating that she did not recall the times the victim had visited the house.
Faxa put it to her that according to defence attorney Mkhangeli Nkqayana, when he crossed-examined the victim, the victim visited two days after October 15 with money she claimed to have received from her “ sugar daddy”.
Garhishe said she did not recall that, with Faxa telling her that she had selective memory.
Garhishe said the crime happened in 2016 and that she could not remember everything that happened in that year.
“The victim came to eGagasini (the house they lived in) on October 15 2016 looking for Sibongile.
“We then went to Masonic tavern and I then left with my boyfriend. “I only saw her the following day,” she told court.
She said after that day she saw the victim three times when she came to look for Sibongile.
“Sibongile warned us about living with the victim.”
The trial is set to continue on April 8...