UPDATE: Ga-Rankuwa judge loses patience with councillor
"This case has been dragging on for too long now."
The lawyer of rape-accused ANC ward councillor Emmanuel Sipho Maselane failed to turn up in court on Tuesday.
This prompted Judge Dan Mokgotsi to warn that he wanted the rape and armed robbery trial completed by next Monday.
“This case has been dragging on for too long now,” he told Maselane.
“Make sure that your lawyer is in court next week on Monday.”
This was the second time that the lawyer failed to show up for the trial in the Ga-Rankuwa High Court.
Maselane (33) is on trial for crimes allegedly committed three years ago, including multiple rapes and armed robbery.
The court heard that the matter needed to be postponed to Monday because the accused’s lawyer was not present.
“We have been waiting the whole morning for his lawyer to arrive,” said Mokgotsi.
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https://rekordnorth.co.za/126012/judgment-in-anc-ward-councillor-case-postponed/
“He indicated he would be here by 11am. It is now 11:48 and he is not here.”
The trial was also postponed on the 20 April because of the lawyer’s absence.
All witnesses in the trial have testified, and heads of arguments have been heard.
“We expect judgement to be handed out on Monday,” the prosecutor said on Tuesday.
A large number of women, most of them members of the ANC Women’s League, packed the courtroom to support the women alleged to be victims in Maselane’s case.
Some of them told Rekord they were fed up with the way the trial had been dragging on.
“We do not know what is going on with this case. It has been dragging on for years. As women, we are frustrated by the way this case has been going on,” said an ANC ward councillor who asked not to be named.
“The ANC has failed to act. This guy remains our councillor. He is arrogant, he disrespects everyone in our community and in our streets. We are here to ensure that justice is served on him.”
The councillor said one of the alleged victims, who was also a witness in the trial, had gone into hiding.
Maselane was arrested in 2015 by the Loate police for allegedly raping four women, including two 14-year-old girls.
He has been out on R2 000 bail when his trial began in December.
It was alleged Maselane gave his victims lifts at night then took them to a veld where he assaulted and raped them, police said.
ANC Tshwane spokesperson Teboho Joala earlier said the party would only comment after the matter had been finalised.
ALSO READ:
https://rekordnorth.co.za/102128/rape-case-against-anc-councillor-postponed/
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