The 24-year-old Madiba grandson who cannot be named pending his court hearing next week allegedly raped the underage girl in the toilets of a bar in Johannesburg.
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Mbuso Mandela appeared Monday before a judge for the rape of the teenager, we learned from South African police, a new scandal that chips away the family picture of the anti-apartheid icon.
The Guardian reports that Mbuso Mandela, 24 years old, is now in police custody.
The rape allegedly took place at a restaurant in Greenside, a Johannesburg suburb, on August 7, Selepe said. “It turned out he had been sent by Winnie”.
“That was never brought to our attention nor reported”, she said. Madikizela-Mandela, still a politically powerful woman in South Africa, promised to ask the provincial police commissioner to handle the case and said her family would also hold a press conference, the spokesman said.
The family spokesman said that the girl’s family was not happy with the way they were treated by authorities and the Mandela family.
Mbuso is one of Mandela’s 17 grandchildren. “A child may be raped and then all is well”, said the latter.
Madikizela-Mandela’s office has not responded to questions about the alleged interference.
She further insisted that fair treatment would be given, despite the accused being a Mandela. Selepe said that all the rights of suspects are maintained throughout the investigation and their lawful custody.
The grandson of a prominent struggle icon is expected to apply for bail on Friday morning.
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South Africa’s Times newspaper reported that staff at Mama’s Shebeen were unaware of the incident, and the owner of the restaurant, Yaw Dwomoh, told the paper that police had not yet approached him.
