THE Sasolburg Magistrates Court in the Free State has postponed a rape case against a 37-year-old man due to loadshedding.
The court also gave the investigating officer time to study the docket.
The court was packed with angry members of the community and the African Congress for Transformation (ACT).
The suspect laughed at the community members sitting on the benches as he entered the small courtroom in Sasolburg.
This angered the community members so much that they filled the courtroom to learn his fate as part of the bail process.
The case was postponed to Monday, 15 January to give the investigating officer time to find out the suspect's exact address as he had told the court he was from KNZ.
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Due to loadshedding the magistrate said the case was a top priority as the suspect had applied for bail and his residential address needed to be verified.
The suspect was arrested after he allegedly took a 13-year-old teen living with a disability to his house and raped her on Monday, 1 January.
Speaking to Daily Sun, the girl's father said his child will never be a happy girl again.
"I am heartbroken and pray every day that the suspect is given a harsh sentence and dies in prison," he said.
A member of the community told Daily Sun that her child allegedly committed suicide a year ago after being raped. She said since then, every time she hears there is a rape case, she goes until the suspect is convicted.
When the 37-year-old appeared in court for the second time on Tuesday, 9 January 2024, a source familiar with the case told Daily Sun that the suspect was wanted for alleged rape in Parys as he was released on bail years ago and never appeared in court.
Fezile Dabi ACT chairman, Kgomodile Mare, said they were very upset that the suspect had been granted bail once before for rape and they were concerned about how many children and women he had raped and managed to escape.
Zamdela police spokeswoman Sergeant Josephine Rani said police could confirm that they were investigating a case of rape and that the suspect had been arrested.
Rani said the victim's mental disability will be assessed by experts and they cannot comment on this until such a report is received confirming this.
