Cape Town - The deputy mayor of the Oudtshoorn municipality, Mlandeli Nyuka, will remain in custody after he appeared in the Oudtshoorn Regional Court on criminal charges.
Nyukal faces a charge of sexual assault after a colleague in his office last week reported an incident of inappropriate touching to police, claiming that he accosted her at work.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said: “Oudtshoorn (FCS) is investigating this matter after a 37-year-old employee laid a complaint of sexual assault.
“It is alleged that the suspect accosted the victim in his office on Tuesday, September 27, made her promises of a higher post and touched the complainant inappropriately,” Pojie said.
The 40-year-old official and leader within “Suid-Kaap Saamstaan” party made his first appearance on Monday and has previously been accused of rape. The State said they intended to oppose the official’s release on bail due to a pending rape case for which the official was granted bail.
At this stage, he remains in custody. The Oudtshoorn mayor’s office said because no formal complaint was lodged internally, they could not investigate the allegations against the deputy mayor.
Spokesperson Hannes Visser said: “To date, no complaint involving the deputy mayor has been lodged with the office of the municipal manager or with the executive mayor.
“The municipal manager, therefore, has no grounds for launching an investigation. A complaint is currently being investigated by SAPS and the municipality does not have insight into the content and scope of the complaint.”
While the executive mayor Chris McPherson is aware of the charges, the deputy mayor will remain in his position.
“It is important to know that a councillor only forfeits the position as a councillor if the person is found guilty on a criminal charge and sentenced to direct imprisonment of at least two years without the option of a fine, or if the person is suspended by his party.
“With the course of the investigation, the deputy mayor continues as councillor and as deputy mayor. He is also still the president of his political party, Suidkaap Saamstaan,” they said.
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