DA councilor accused of rape still on voting ballot for tomorrow’s elections

A DA councilor in Stellenbosch who is on trial in the regional court on a rape charge and was suspended by his party, still appears in an eligible position on the party’s candidate list in tomorrow’s local government elections.

The councilor was involved in the DA youth structures.

The 26-year-old complainant and youth activist was an executive member of the DA’s youth structure and worked with the recruitment of new members and campaigns. According to the DA’s Western Cape chairman, Jaco Londt, the incident was reported to the party on March 26 and an internal process was launched in line with the DA constitution.

The provincial executive committee then decided on April 19, after the member’s lawyer made representations to the party, to suspend him. Now the law must take its course, Londt said.

The councilor says he is innocent.

According to a report by Rapport the councilor is still being paid a salary.

The publication said that the Stellenbosch municipality’s spokesperson, Stuart Grobbelaar, did not want to confirm or deny this when they contacted him, only saying that the speaker’s office officially charged the councilor and the internal process was followed. He added that they are awaiting the legal process and police investigation to be finalized saying that they often follow up and strongly reject any form of violence against women.

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The councilor’s lawyer, William Fullard, told Rapport on Friday that he himself had taken his client to the police when they became aware of the complaint. His client is on bail and is going to deny guilt. They say the state’s case is “thin”.

The councilor has already appeared in court. “My client gave his full co-operation to the police and really wants to tell his story to the court.” Fullard also said he understands his client was relieved of certain duties by his political party, pending the justification of the case.

Fullard received a copy of the dossier three weeks ago.

The complainant, now 26, claims that the councilor raped her at his sister’s house on March 20 this year.

She, the councilor and other friends went to a well-known waterhole in the town after a youth meeting. They later decided to go to a supermarket for cheaper drinks. The complainant then went with the councilor to his sister’s house.

She was assigned a double bed in the guest room. She says she did not have an overnight bag and simply slept in her panties and vest on the double bed under a blanket. Around 10pm that night, she became aware of someone touching her and trying to pin her down.

She felt the offender, whose body she described as “big”, pressing against her. He apparently did not wear pants. She tried to pull her lower body away from him, but he pinned her down with his body weight. She touched the man. From his physique she came to the conclusion that it was the councilor. Another person was sleeping next to the two in the same bed and apparently did not wake up.

When she wanted to scream, the man pushed the blanket over her face. He then allegedly raped her. She says she was completely powerless. The man then suddenly jumped up and left the room after which she cried. She says she did not want to wake up the councilor’s family to let them know what had happened as she was afraid they would not believe her.

The next day on the way home in the car, the councilor apparently told her that what had happened should only remain between the two of them. The woman then told a woman councilor of her ward, under whose leadership she worked as a youth activist, as well as another municipal official, about the incident.

Four days later she consulted a doctor.

A women’s rights activist then helped her to file the criminal complaint on March 24.

About a month later, the councilor was suspended by the DA.

The complainant says she fell into severe depression due to shame and because some of her family members did not believe her. She also says she took an overdose of pills in an attempt to take her own life, but was rescued when a tenant broke down the door of the room where she was staying.

When the proportional lists for the upcoming election were announced, some DA councilors who knew about the incident saw to their surprise that the councilor in question held a very “favorable position” on the list.

According to them, he is assured of a job should the DA win in Stellenbosch. They were also resentful because he is apparently still receiving a salary, even though he was exempted from the hard work that other councilors had to do in the run-up to the elections.