Local government official accused of rape now faces additional charge

A senior local government official accused of rape and human trafficking now faces an additional rape charge involving yet another minor.

The official, a director at a Gauteng municipality, was arrested in Mpumalanga last week Friday with his wife, who also faces the initial same charges. 

The duo appeared in the Bushbuckridge magistrate’s court on Monday where the case was postponed to Thursday for a formal bail application.

The two were initially accused of starving and beating two girls, aged 13 and 15, into submission. The wife allegedly often brought the cousins into the bedroom to have sex with her husband. When the girls refused to obey, they would allegedly be severely assaulted and starved. According to the police, the girls were brought into the country from Mozambique without proper documentation.

Now Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli says the 49-year-old man faces an additional charge after a 14-year-old girl reported that in 2014 she was allegedly raped by the suspect.

“The victim, who was seven at the time, revealed that she was playing with [a friend] when he sent [the other girl] to the shop. The suspect then took the victim to his room where he [allegedly] took off her clothes and raped her.

“She further stated that the suspect threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“The victim also indicated that she was living in fear since the ordeal and [said that] when she heard that the suspect was arrested last Friday for allegations of rape, she eventually had the courage to break the silence and reported the matter to police.”

Mdhluli confirmed that the girl has been moved to a place of safety by the department of social development.

The senior official will make his first appearance in the same court on Thursday on a rape charge. 

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