Pethe Sara Simiao accuses warden officers of assaulting him

A man accused of raping and killing six-year-old Amantle Samane limped into court on Friday claiming he had been “badly” assaulted in prison.

Pethe Sara Simia, who appeared under heavy police guard at the Protea magistrate’s court to face charges of rape and murder, asked to be released on bail.

The magistrate adjourned the proceedings for a few minutes and when they were resumed, he told Simia he would be returning to Johannesburg prison but would be kept in a different, single cell.

He also told Simia, who claimed his stomach and legs hurt, that he would be given medical attention.

The matter was postponed to December 3.

Amantle was buried on Thursday. The little girl, who was just a few days away from her preschool graduation, was found dead in the shack that Simia was renting in Orlando, Soweto. Simia, who had fled after her murder, was arrested a few days later.