The witness, who wants to remain anonymous, took the stand in the trial of Nicholas Ninow, the man accused of raping the child when she went to the restaurant's bathroom in September last year. 

The witness testified that she had been working alone in the kiddies corner until she went for lunch, but before she left, the child asked to go to the toilet. 

"When the little girl asked to go to the toilet I followed her because I was going to lunch. Then she entered into the ladies toilet and I passed and went to lunch."

She explained that she returned after 15 minutes and enquired where the girl was and was told she was still in the toilet.

She said when the mother came in and asked where the girl was she told her she went to the toilet. "The mother came back and said she didn't find the girl in the toilet."

"She said where is my child, I trusted you with my child, where is she."

The childminder said she assisted in the search for the child and they discovered that there was someone locked inside the cubicle.

She said it took five people to push the door open and when the door finally opened, Ninow tried to hit them with a belt, but she said she doesn't know if anyone was hit.

"When the door was opened, the first person I could see was the girl, from what I recall the girl came in wearing a skirt and tights, but when the bathroom door opened, she was only wearing a skirt."

She said Ninow was topless, but was wearing trousers with the zip opened.

The visibly upset witness, who was in tears, said she left her job after the incident as she was no longer coping. She said the mother's words still haunt her.

"When I would register a child in the play area, I would doubt myself."

Ninow is accused of raping the girl in the bathroom of the Dros restaurant in Silverton, east of Pretoria, in September last year.

He has pleaded guilty to rape, possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice, but not to the assault charges.

The matter continues on Wednesday.

African News Agency (ANA)