A seven-year-old girl has been removed from her family after it emerged that relatives attempted to cover up that she had been raped by her grandfather, the KwaZulu-Natal social development department said on Thursday.
Spokeswoman Ncumisa Fandesi said the rape took place last week in Mthunzini area on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
"It is alleged that the old man followed the girl to a river where she was fetching water with her friends. He then sent her friends away and dragged the little girl into nearby bushes and raped her. When the girl failed to return home her mother went looking for her and saw her coming out of the bushes with her underwear in her hand."
Fandesi said that the mother reported the incident to the village elders, who it was alleged tried to minimise the incident.
Social workers heard of it and intervened, helping the girl's mother report the matter to the police.
KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC Weziwe Thusi said: "I would like to remind families and members of the public at large that rape is not a family matter regardless of who the perpetrator is.
"No amount of damages can make rape acceptable and rape, particularly child rape, is a heinous crime that must be reported for the perpetrators to be prosecuted."
Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker confirmed that a case had been opened.
Naicker said the grandfather was still being sought by the police.
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