A young boy kept chained in a shack, allegedly by his father, had scars all over his body, say members of his community.

Residents of a Peddie village in Eastern Cape have vowed to continue protesting to stop a 53-year-old man from getting bail after he was arrested for allegedly raping his son and keeping him chained in a shack.

The boy escaped on 31 May and asked neighbours for help. His legs were still shackled. After freeing him from his chains the community called the police.

Four days later the father was arrested at a relative's house in Motherwell, Gqeberha, which is about 180km away. Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed that he was on the run from 31 May until his arrest on 4 June.

The community and the police have received praise for their swift intervention.

Community members gathered at the court to watch the man appear before a magistrate on Tuesday said the boy and his father lived in the same one-room shack and the mother did not reside with them.

The boy has been removed from his home and is now in a place of safety. He was also given medical treatment. Community members said the boy's body was covered in scars.

The father will appear in court again on 13 June.

The child's mother came to...