A former premier, whose name is known to Sunday World, is being investigated by police for alleged rape.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the man, who cannot be named yet, is being investigated after a woman opened a case against him on Sunday.
“Police can confirm that a case of rape was opened and registered at Mondeor police station. Due processes will follow,” said Mathe.
The SAPS cannot confirm the name of the suspect until he appears in court and is formally charged.”
An internal police report, seen by Sunday World, suggests that the alleged victim told the police, in her statement, that sometime in March 2017, the former premier phoned her from Portugal and asked if she had found her student accommodation in Johannesburg.
She added that on his return from Madeira, he allegedly called her mother and informed her to come and collect money for her student accommodation.
‘Premier league’
The former premier, who was part of the so-called “premier league” during former president Jacob Zuma’s era, allegedly told the victim that if he scratches her back, she must do the same.
He also apparently gave her the money for accommodation for three months.
She alleged that the former premier then started raping her at different hotels around Sandton and Pretoria.
The woman also claimed that she also fell pregnant with the former premier’s baby in December 2019, and he allegedly gave her the money and forced her to abort the baby, which she claims she did in January 2020.
The victim added that the former premier stopped communicating with her after the abortion, except to say that he warned her not to tell anyone about their “affair”, which would ruin his political career.
A senior politician who is sympathetic to the former premier, who asked not to be named, claims that the case was politically motivated.
“I am not saying whether she wasn’t raped or not, but I am just questioning how the case was only opened years later under questionable circumstances” said the politician.
“If the woman felt so strongly about the incident, why she didn’t open the case there and then?”
Political agenda
Another politician, who also asked not to be named, also suggested that there is a “political agenda” behind the opening of the case.
“We can’t rule out that there is a strong political agenda behind the case. The woman, as far as we know, had a thing with the former premier and he took care of her financially.
“Now that he is no longer in the limelight, she opens a case of rape against him. The timing of opening this case is very questionable.
“I am not saying the incident did or did not happen, I am just questioning the motive.”
Sunday World was told that the woman, whose name is known to the paper, is related to the politician’s wife and that she has visited his home several times over the years.
A female politician, who asked not to be named, said gender-based violence (GVB) is a serious scourge and that it must be uprooted and reported to police.
“The suspect, no matter how powerful and connected he can be, mustn’t be protected but face the music,” she said.
“GBV must be stopped at all costs and reported to police whenever it shows its ugly face.”
Efforts to get a comment from the former premier were not successful. His phone was switched off and those close to him claimed that they did not know his whereabouts.
- The story will be updated when Sunday World receives a comment from the former premier or if there are any developments.
