Pretoria - #NotInMyName members and Mamelodi residents gathered outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court to demonstrate against an elderly businessman accused of raping a minor earlier this year.
Mamelodi police arrested the 77-year-old well-known businessman after the 12-year-old alleged victim told her family that she was raped.
The case has attracted public interest and the following of popular social activism group #NotInMyName who have been vocal about their support for victims of rape.
The organisation has been mobilising community members to demonstrate their demand for justice outside court and so that the court may prosecute the accused and issue its verdict since the accused claimed innocence.
#NotInMyName general-secretary, Themba Masango, said although the case was postponed to November 26 for futher investigations, the organisation was confident in the justice system.
“The alleged perpetrator was denied bail since he was arrested in May.
"This is only his third or fourth appearance because the court wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“We are encouraged by the court that they are taking necessary precautions to ensure that the child is protected and that the child’s rights are at the forefront of their minds,” said Masango.
He said cases like this usually subjected victims to secondary trauma but he was happy that the justice system was doing its best to protect the victim.
However, he said the child’s family was being threatened by friends and colleagues of the alleged victim.
The group promised the family that they would support them through thick and thin as the case developed. They said it was their role to unite communities to stand against rape, abuse and violence.