ON wednesday, 4 October, ward councillor Tebogo Sepale (43), a pastor, prophet, and member of the Matlosana Local Municipality in the North West, appeared in the Orkney Magistrates Court.
The fully packed public galler saw Sepale appearing with another lawyer, Carolissen Lee-David.
Daily Sun can confirm that Lee-David is not a new legal representative to the former ward councillor, but he's also from Kobus Burger Law Firm where his previous lawyer was from.
The court decided to defer the matter to 1 November for further investigations and bail application.
On 17 July, the court heard attorney Kobus Burger saying after he consulted with his client, he then decided to abandoned his bail application.
ANC provincial spokesman Tumelo Maruping was asked by the media if the suspect is still receiving a salary while still in jail.
He said: "Let me clarify that we're also disappointed as the ANC in the manner in which the National Prosecuting Authority is handling this matter. I mean we've been coming here so many times."
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Since Sepale had been earlier suspended, Maruping said the ANC already processed the councillor in the process of a disciplinary process.
Maruping said Sepale will be appearing at the provincial disciplinary committee on 5 November as they hope to access him since they are halted by the court processes.
In regard to the salary he's still receiving, Maruping said: "Labour Relations Act allows a person to receive a salary up until an outcome of the allegations is reached and that's when we can finalise."
The accused has still not been asked to plead by the court and faces 11 provisional charges, including statutory rape, child violation with consent, manufacturing pornographic material, rape, and sexual intimidation.
These charges stemmed from a police report indicating that the Klerksdorp Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit was investigating Sepale for crimen injuria, statutory rape, and other offenses reported at the Kanana cop shop near Orkney.
The court said in one of the cases, the suspect allegedly shared a nude picture of his private parts with the complainant, while in the second and separate case, but involving the same suspect, two counts of statutory rape were laid earlier on by the parents of two boys aged 15 and 17.
Investigations are still underway to gather more evidence against the suspect.
The public is urged by the police to refrain from circulating sexual content of any form through all mediums as it may compromise the victims and their families, as well as the investigations into the matter.
