Top ANC politician’s bail application to be heard today over alleged rape
The gloves are off as scores of ANC and EFF supporters are threatening one another outside the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court where the case of a prominent Mpumalanga politician is under way.
The politician in question is due to formally apply for bail at 14:00, to allow him to change his legal team, Lowvelder reports.
He was arrested on Monday September 28, along with a 26-year-old family member, both on allegations of an alleged rape incident involving two minors.
The spokesperson for the NPA in the province, Monica Nyuswa, had earlier said the State intended to oppose bail given the nature of the charges.
Outside court, the two political organisations’ supporters are in full song and at one point nearly exchanged blows.
The ANC supporters are in support of the accused while the EFF ones are in support of the victims, and have been singing anti-ANC songs.
The politician, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children, has already been suspended from all party activities.
“The ANC takes these allegations against the accused extremely serious.
The member in question has been summarily suspended as a member of the ANC and PEC until the case is concluded by the competent courts of the land, consistent with the resolutions of the most recent national executive committee meeting of the ANC and the 54th National Conference, which resolved that all members charged for corruption and other serious crimes should step aside from all activities associated with the ANC,” said Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, the acting secretary of the ANC in Mpumalanga.
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