15-year-old in soldier murder case also faces unrelated rape charge

The case of the murder of a South African National Defence Force soldier took a shocking twist on Thursday when it was revealed the teenager, who stands accused with four adults, has also been linked to a rape case.

The 15-year-old may not be named because he is a minor.

Prosecutor Nathan Adriaanse told the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court that a Kuils River police officer had linked him to an unrelated rape case in 2018.

The teen and four others are accused of killing Staff Sergeant Michael Njomane. The teen and one of the adult accused were in court on Thursday for a prospective bail application.

Njomane’s body was found in the boot of a burned out government car in Blue Downs on August 18.

The teen appeared in court on Thursday with his mother sitting close to him as his responsible guardian. He stood a distance away in the dock from one of his co-accused, dressed in old, but neat clothing.

His co-accused indicated to the court he had decided to get a lawyer after originally opting to speak for himself. A tattoo of a crown containing the number 26 was visible on his neck when his T-shirt shifted as he held his hand up.

The adults may also not be named, filmed or photographed, by court order.

The case was postponed to Friday in the same court for a social worker to prepare a report on the teenager relating to the latest charge against him.

It is understood he is wanted for the alleged gang-rape of two school girls who were walking across a field last year.

Two people have already been arrested in that case, and Kuils River police had been searching for him to add him to the case.

The court also granted two members of Njomane’s family permission to attend the case on condition that they do not mention the teenager’s name to anybody.

They had made a special request to the court because it is sitting in camera.

The boy’s mother had objected to them being allowed to be present because they would see what she looked like, and possibly threaten or harm her on her way out of the court building, she believed.

The court heard that although this was her fear, she had not been threatened by them, so it gave the family permission for two people to attend the in camera sessions on condition that they do not also threaten or harm her.

The teenager and the adult had been expected to bring a bail application on Thursday but the new charge against the minor and the adult’s decision to get a lawyer led to the bail application being put on hold.

The other three accused will appear via a prison AVR feed in November.

The teenager and the adult will appear again on Friday for a bail application and after that, the teenager will appear with his two co-accused in the rape case.

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