Durban - The top ANC Mpumalanga man who was on Monday morning arrested for allegedly raping his eight-year-old twin daughters has been remanded in custody after making a brief appearance in the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court.
He is expected to formally apply for bail on Thursday.
The former MEC and former ANC MP, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims, has indicated through his lawyers that he wants to apply for bail.
Reports from the province indicate the rape case was opened in July and after almost two months of intensive investigations, the police pounced on the politician this morning and arrested him in one of the leafy suburbs of Nelspruit.
The rape suspect, who is a former MEC, appeared alongside his 26-year-old stepson who is believed to be an accomplice in the rape case.
He was previously accused of raping a 26-year-old woman in 2012, but charges against him were withdrawn by the NPA in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
The court at the time had been told that the director of public prosecutions had decided against prosecuting the suspect after examining the case docket.
In order to protect the victims, who are 8 years old, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) requested that both men should not be identified as that would effectively identify the minors who are victims in the matter.
The matter was postponed to Thursday, October 1, 2020, for a formal bail hearing.
The spokesperson of the NPA in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, said they are opposed to having the political leader and his stepson granted bail.
“The NPA is opposing the bail application,” Nyuswa said to Independent Media late on Monday.
The politician and his stepson are currently in custody pending the bail hearing.
The ANC in the province has since issued a statement saying the man has been suspended from party activities.
Further, it said it stands with the victims as gender-based violence is a scourge it is opposed to.
Political Bureau