Three men aged between 26 and 70 appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's court on Monday for allegedly forcefully marrying a 15-year-old girl to a 26-year-old man.
The three were arrested on Saturday by the Serious Organised Crime unit of the Hawks at Ntlazi in Baziya Administrative Area, Mthatha.
Captain Anelisa Feni of the Hawks said its alleged that the 70 and 51-year-old men, who are the maternal grandfathers of the minor, negotiated and deceived the 15-year-old girl into undergoing the tradition of Ukuthwala with the 26-year-old man.
The girl was apparently deceived under the pretence that she was relocating to Ntlaza to live with the 51-year-old in order to study towards her grade 10 at a school there.
After the Hawks received information concerning this incident of Ukuthwala, they found the 15-year-old in the home of the 26-year-old man in Ntlazi. The minor was immediately moved to a place of safety in Mthatha.
Captain Feni said the 26-year-old faces charges of abduction and attempted rape while the 51 and 70-year-old face charges of Human Trafficking.
All three suspects were granted bail of R500 and were ordered to appear in court again on the 2nd of March.
