By Staff Reporter
Running a simple errand, playing in the streets, or with a trusted member of the community are some of the details in cases of alleged rape that were heard in the Makhanda Magistrates’ Court by presiding magistrate Xoliswa Msesiwe this week alone.
As the scourge of violence against women and children rises, Makhanda communities have been rocked by various allegations of rape that came to light this past week. These rape charges have triggered the attention of community members and anti-gender-based violence activists, who, in protest, have called for the denial of bail for the alleged perpetrators.
Grahamstown Anti-Crime spokesperson Mfundo Tsili says they were in court to “support the victims and to say no bail for the [alleged]perpetrators” after being approached by their families.
Due to the sensitive nature of the cases, Grocott’s Mail has left out the details of the cases. Still, it would be irresponsible of us to stay quiet about this epidemic of violence that continues on women and children.
In one case, a middle-aged man appeared in the Makhanda Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 8 November, on charges of allegedly raping a young woman while on her way to run errands. The state prosecutor called for bail to be denied to the suspect, who is remanded in custody until his formal bail application hearing on Monday, 13 November.
In another case, three youths appeared briefly in the magistrate’s court on Thursday, 9 November facing charges of rape. The trio were set to apply for bail, but the case had to be postponed to allow the state to verify the alternative addresses of the accused youths. Magistrate Xoliswa Msesiwe postponed the matter to Friday, 10 November, for a formal bail application. Following a spike in the number of rape cases in Makhanda recently, concerned residents, including anti-gender-based violence activists, have expressed their anger at alleged perpetrators. A large group of residents, mainly women, packed the court gallery, calling for the accused to be denied bail.
On Grahamstown Anti-Crime neighbourhood watch’s Facebook posts, it is also alleged that a convict, out on parole, raped seven children between the ages of 5 and 8 years old this past week alone and, according to community members, has not yet been arrested for the recent cases of alleged rape. Some of the parents of the victims of these children were also protesting in the magistrates’ court this week in support of “no bail” for the rape accused in the cases that appeared in court this week, hoping that the alleged rapist at large will also be in police custody soon so that justice can be served.
