Pretoria - An ANC leader in the Mawiga/Mabopane/Winterveld and Ga-Rankuwa zone is in line to be councillor for his area despite facing four charges of rape.
The suspect is among four candidates on the councillors’ nomination list for this year’s municipal elections for a ward in the area.
Police told the Pretoria News the accused, who cannot be named as he had not yet pleaded, allegedly committed the crimes in 2014.
He was elected to the ANC branch leadership a fortnight ago at a tension-filled meeting. The election outcome caused rifts among branch members, with disgruntled members claiming the voting process had been rigged.
Those who claimed they were excluded from voting called into question the credibility of the leader.
They descended on the ANC Tshwane regional office in Arcadia on Monday to air their displeasure against the leader, demanding his immediate removal.
Dressed in the party colours and chanting Struggle songs, they said they were not there to fight against the leadership of the region, but merely wanted their problems addressed.
The regional office of the ANC has of late become a scene of demonstrators voicing their dissatisfaction with branch elections process.
At least 16 women from Hammanskraal stripped naked against the alleged vote-rigging two weeks ago.
ANC members from Atteridgeville burned a T-shirt with the face of President Jacob Zuma a few days later, claiming vote irregularities.
The leader in question, meanwhile, said he was an ANC member in good standing and eligible to be voted into party positions.
He said that as far as he knew, there was only one rape charge that had been laid against him. He said the case was subsequently struck off the court roll owing to a lack of evidence.
“The court said the complainant needed proof to back up her case,” he said. “I have been working with her for four years and she didn’t bring up those allegations.”
He claimed the criminal charges were fabricated to tarnish his name, and that he was held for three weeks in connection with the alleged rape of a teenager.
“I was released on a R2 000 bail. I don’t have a criminal record. I am clean,” he said.
The official said people voted for him because he listened to them. “People would not have voted for me if I had those charges over my head.”
Police, however, said the charges were laid against the man at Loate police station in Winterveld.
Constable Petunia Shabangu said one of the two cases opened in 2014 involved a minor girl. Two others were opened last year by women aged between 26 and 30, according to Shabangu.
She said the suspect was released on bail and his last court appearance was on January 21. He will return to the dock at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court on February 18.
Tshwane ANC spokesman Teboho Joala said candidates on the nomination lists for councillors’ positions were still going to be subjected to a screening process.
“The branch leader in question will also undergo the same process and could be ruled out if the screening panel makes any adverse finding against him,” Joala added.
Meanwhile, the instability and infighting ravaging the ANC is worrisome and could compromise the smooth running of the crucial local government elections.
And if the culture of political intolerance is not nipped in the bud it could create unnecessary no-go areas and thus hinder political parties’ elections campaigns.
United Democratic Movement leader General Bantu Holomisa sounded these warnings in an interview on Monday.
The branch leader in question could be ruled out if the screening panel makes any adverse finding against him
Pretoria News