IFP councillor Abbas Warasally. Photo: Northern Natal News
An Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor in KwaZulu-Natal, who was detained for two rape charges, was released on Friday after spending a night behind bars.
Northern Natal News reported that councillor Abbas Warasally was arrested on Thursday, during an Alfred Duma Local Municipality Exco (Executive) meeting at the Town Hall.
The accused was arrested by officers from the Provincial Track & Tracing Task Team and was taken to Ladysmith Police Station.
Upon arrival, he was interviewed and detained by local detectives from the Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences Unit.
Warasally’s woes started after an explicit audio clip went viral on social media.
In the clip, a man believed to be the councillor is heard promising a woman that she will keep her job in exchange for a favour.
ALSO READ: IFP councillor embroiled in ‘sex for jobs’ scandal
On March 6, the IFP issued a statement which confirmed that Warasally had been “recalled” as a councillor, with his resignation being effective immediately.
In an interview with the metro’s mayor Zama Sibisi on April 18, the mayor confirmed that Warasally was back at work performing his duties as normal.
The mayor said at the time that the municipality never received a formal complaint and they had never charged him with any misconduct.
It is unclear why prosecutors chose not to enroll the matter.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused the municipal speaker of not being proactive.
The party’s caucus leader Mike Suddaby said despite writing to Municipal Speaker Bheki Sithole in early March to request that the rules committee investigates Warasally’s alleged involvement in the sex scandal, Sithole has not acknowledged receipt of the request. He added that no investigation has been conducted to date.
“To make matters worse, the IFP had also issued a media statement to say that the councillor would be removed as its councillor in the Alfred Duma Municipality, and yet some three months later, not only has he not been removed as a councillor but he has not even been suspended from party work.
“Instead, he frequently accompanies the mayor [Zama] Sibisi, on official council business as if the matter has been swept under the carpet,” said Suddaby.
READ MORE: Woman accuses councillors of demanding sex for jobs
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