Johannesburg - Patrick Wisani, the ANC Youth League leader charged with sjambokking his girlfriend to death, has now been charged with raping her.
But on Thursday, moments after a charge of rape had been added, he told the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court that he wanted his bail conditions relaxed so he could participate in the local government elections.
Wisani, who is the chairman of the ANCYL in the Joburg Inner-City, said relaxing his bail conditions would allow him to attend the branch meetings and enable him to assist in election campaigns.
He allegedly beat 24-year-old Nosipho Mandleleni to death with a sjambok and broomstick in September last year.
On Thursday, however, the charge sheet revealed that one of those objects might have been used to rape her as well.
A source close to the investigation said Mandleleni was bleeding heavily from her genitals when her body was discovered, and this convinced investigators that she had been raped. However, it’s understood the perpetrator slipped some of her clothes back onto her after the incident to cover up his crime.
When granted bail last year, Wisani was ordered not to enter Yeoville because of the possibility that he could interfere with witnesses. It was alleged he knew where many of the witnesses lived.
When he initially appeared in court on Thursday, the State postponed the case to February 25 for DNA analysis to be completed.
However, Wisani and his lawyer, Mpho Selepe, asked for Wisani’s ban from Yeoville to be lifted, at least temporarily, and that the case be transferred to the bail court. The magistrate presiding over the bail court, Paul du Plessis, was not impressed with the application.
He said there were solid reasons why Wisani had been told he was not allowed to enter Yeoville.
“The witnesses will still be there. There’s no way for the court to know he won’t interfere with them,” said Du Plessis.
Selepe implored the magistrate, saying Wisani would need to be able to enter the suburb only for a few days, even suggesting a police officer accompany him to the meetings he wished to attend.
But Du Plessis would not budge, saying he wouldn’t consider that. He insisted that the investigating officer come to court to explain whether he believed the suspected murderer should be allowed to enter Yeoville. The investigating officer, however, was not in court, and the case was rolled over to Friday for him to testify.
Also in attendance at Wisani’s court proceedings was an official from the Commission for Gender Equality, Eunice Poto. She said the commission was monitoring Wisani’s case because of its alleged display of serious gender-based violence.
“We have to be here to ensure the (justice system) puts forward a strong message on these issues,” said Poto.
However, when asked about Wisani’s attempts to relax his bail conditions, Poto said the CGE would abide by any decision the court made.
In September last year, the ANCYL said domestic violence would not be tolerated in its ranks.
The Gauteng ANCYL said it would not tolerate any kind of abuse by any member.
Gauteng youth league spokeswoman Mbali Hlophe said Wisani’s charges, if proved, were a brutal wake-up call to a country celebrated for its human rights laws.
The Star