Kimberley - A 47-year-old Kimberley man, Christopher Moromo, who is facing a charge of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl just days before Christmas, was granted R500 bail by the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court.
The incident apparently took place on December 21 last year.
Moromo, known as Rasta, indicated during his bail application on Friday that he lived in the same street as the victim but said he never sexually assaulted her.
“I know the victim and her mother. They stay about three houses from me,” Moromo said.
He said the charge against him followed allegations made up by his neighbour, who he referred to as Nonos.
“Nonos and I were drinking and having something to eat. She left my place untidy and the next day when she returned, I told her to go away because she did not help me clean up. She got angry and left, and spread the lies about me,” Moromo said.
He told the court that he was later confronted about the allegations by the mother of the alleged victim.
“The mother of the child came to me and asked me what I had done to her child. I was surprised and I said nothing,” said Moromo.
“She said that Nonos had told her that, while we were busy drinking the previous day, she saw me touching the child on her private parts and she had screamed.
“I was shocked to hear this because Nonos made up the story.”
The accused said that should he be granted bail, he would abide by the rulings of the court.
“Although I stay in the same street as the victim and the complainant, I will not have any contact with them. I also am in possession of a passport because I am a foreign national but I do not have a problem with the court keeping my documentation. I will, however, need my asylum document for work purposes. I am also not flight a risk because I don’t have the financial means to go to Zimbabwe. I am self-employed as a painter and haven’t worked since I was in police custody,” he said during the bail application.
The State indicated that they would not oppose bail as they did not have a strong case against the accused.
“The credibility of the trial will be a problem because there is currently only one witness. There is no indication of a medical report or the involvement of social workers in this matter. The case boils down to one witness, namely Nonos as indicated by the accused,” prosecutor Chabeli Mafohla told the court.
The case was postponed to January 29 for further investigations.
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