IFP councillor Abbas Warasally was arrested yesterday during an Alfred Duma Local Municipality Exco meeting at the Town Hall.

He was arrested by officers from the Provincial Track & Tracing Task Team and was taken to Ladysmith Police Station, where he was interviewed and detained by local detectives from the Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences Unit.

He was detained in connection with two rape charges.

Warasally remained in police custody and spent the night behind bars as his court appearance was set for today.

He found himself in hot water after an explicit audio clip went viral on social media. In the clip, a man believed to be the councillor is heard making what appears to be promises or assurances to a woman that she will keep her job in exchange for a ‘favour’. Outrage from political colleagues, opposition parties and of course the community led to the IFP taking action against the councillor and he was initially suspended on February 27.

Warasally was summoned to appear before the IFP National Executive Committee on February 27, where he was suspended with immediate effect.

On March 6, the IFP issued a statement confirming that Warasally had been ‘recalled’ as a councillor, with his resignation being effective immediately.

However, in an exclusive interview with Alfred Duma Mayor Zama Sibisi on April 18, the mayor confirmed that Warasally was back at work performing his duties as normal. The mayor said that, as the municipality, they had never received any formal complaint and they had never charged him with any misconduct.

Warasally continued to perform his duties as a councillor, being photographed numerous times in local media.

According to the mayor, he was told by Warasally that he had submitted new evidence to the party regarding the matter and that the IFP was conducting further investigations based on the new evidence. Sibisi added that the municipality had never charged him with any misconduct and neither had the Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs.

IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa has not responded to repeated requests for a reason why the decision to ‘recall’ Warasally with immediate effect was not enforced locally or nationally by the IFP.

Court appearance

Warasally has been released from custody pending the outcome of further investigations.

He was released on his own recognisance after spending a night behind bars and allowed to go home, as the matter was not enrolled in court.

It is unclear at this stage why prosecutors chose not to enroll the matter.