Durban — A 39-year-old KwaNyuswa taxi driver charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl will hear in October what will happen regarding his case.
The driver appeared on Thursday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court where the matter was postponed to next month. The State in the bail court is awaiting guidance from the regional court prosecutor.
“The matter on the previous occasion was adjourned for further investigation. All previous queries by the regional court prosecutor have been attended to. I ask that the matter be postponed for the regional court prosecutor to guide,” said the prosecutor.
Once the matter was ready for trial, it would be transferred to a regional court to be enrolled.
The accused is alleged to have inserted his tongue and genital organ into the victim’s private parts more than once last year in June.
In July, the court granted the father of four R3 000 bail. During his bail hearing, he told the court that his children were aged,17, 15, as well as a set of twins aged nine years.
The exceptional circumstances that he presented to the court in his bid to be released on bail were that he lived with his children and partner, adding that they all depended on him financially.
The taxi driver’s partner is studying. He also owns a tuckshop where he employs two people, paying them R2 500 per month.
He also brought to the court’s attention that should he be refused bail he stood to lose his employment as a taxi driver as it was not a scarce skill.
It is alleged that the man had given the girl a lift, and he then took her to nearby bushes where he allegedly raped her last year.
The man was granted bail with conditions. He is to relocate from KwaNyuswa to the alternative address he had provided to the court which was also verified by the investigating officer.
The court previously heard that in 2010, the man was convicted of indecent assault.
His intended plea in this latest matter will be not guilty.
The accused, during his bail application, said in an affidavit read out in court by his defence, that he would not go into the merits of the case, only to say that he was arrested at his home on June 30 in front of his children and co-operated with police.
Daily News