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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape has welcomed the arrest of an ANC councillor in Kimberley, who stands accused of raping a 14-year-old girl with a mental illness and attempting to rape her friend while allegedly keeping the two of them prisoner in his house in Lerato Park over the weekend.
The Da said in a statement: “It is reprehensible that a man, who has been voted into a leadership position by residents of the community, is implicated in such vile and criminal acts against the very… children whom he is meant to protect.”
The party also called on the ANC to immediately remove the councillor from any position of power until the matter is finalised in a court of law.
“Given that the safety of children is at stake, the councillor must, for the time being, be viewed as a threat to young girls and he should not be trusted to lead his community,” added the DA before stating that they believed that there was no place, other than jail, for rapists.
IOL reports that the man was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to appear in court later this week.
Police spokesperson Captain Bashoabile Kale told the publication.“The girls were taken to the veterans’ houses in Lerato Park on February 8 and were only released on February 10 at 5pm.”
The suspect reportedly took to social media to deny the allegations as a smear campaign against him.
(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)
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