An African National Congress (ANC) councilor, Tebogo Sepale, who is accused of raping young boys, is expected to apply for bail.
Sepale, 43, a councilor in the Matlosana local municipality in the North West, was arrested in May after a video of him performing sexual acts with a minor went viral on social media.
In July, Sepale decided to abandon his bail application following a brief appearance at the Orkney Magistrates’ Court.
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However, he has now registered his intention to apply for bail after consultations with his attorney, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The State is ready to propose a date for the matter to be transferred to a higher court for pretrial conferencing as investigations have been wrapped up, said NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame. He also mentioned that the State intends to oppose the bail application.
Sepale currently faces 11 charges, including statutory rape, violating a child with consent, manufacturing pornographic material, rape, and sexual intimidation.
The State may add more charges when the matter is transferred to a higher court.
Mamothame highlighted that in one of the cases, the suspect allegedly shared nude pictures with the complainant, and in another case involving the same suspect, two counts of statutory rape were laid by the parents of the two boys, aged 15 and 17.
Sepale will remain in police custody until the outcome of his bail application. The next court date has been scheduled for November 1.
