Mandela grandson in second bail bid after rape charge
Focus will be on rape complainant’s age and accused’s drug rehab record
THE DRUG addiction history of Nelson Mandela’s grandson is likely to be the focus of his second bail application hearing tomorrow.
The 24-year-old suspect is due to make his third appearance in the Johannesburg Regional Court tomorrow since the allegations of rape emerged against him last week.
On Friday, magistrate Pieter du Plessis, who is presiding in the bail application, ordered the State to obtain the drug rehabilitation history of Mbuso Mandela and include it in the court records.
The court also ordered the State to present an authentic birth certificate or ID of his rape accuser.
This was after Mbuso had, during his last court appearance, submitted a sworn affidavit in which he claimed the sex he had with his accuser was consensual.
While the affidavit wasn’t read out in court, Mbuso’s claim to sexual consent was pointed out by the magistrate. Mbuso’s affidavit and three other supporting affidavits were directly given to the magistrate. Du Plessis personally read through all the affidavits before presiding over the application.
It wasn’t clear what prompted the magistrate to seek the accused’s history of drug rehabilitation or whether Mbuso had, in his bid to be released on bail, wrote in his affidavit that he was a “recovering drug addict”.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged rape and sexual assault happened at a restaurant – Mama’s Shebeen – in Greenside, Joburg.
Previous media reports have described Mbuso as an outpatient at a drug rehab centre. It was also reported that when he was under the influence of drugs, he would act strangely. He was also reported to be a frequent visitor of drug dens and drug dealers in Hillbrow. These reports date from 2013.
There are also similar reports of Mbuso undergoing drug rehabilitation in 2012, while at the same time being accused of having impregnated the wife of his elder brother, Mandla Mandela.
Adding more to his woes, Mbuso is likely to be questioned on a pending assault charge against him.
Last month, a security guard laid a charge against him, according to media reports. The guard accused Mbuso of assaulting him when he and friends were allegedly playing loud music at a complex in Norwood.
The guard claimed that Mbuso assaulted him when he pleaded with him to stop what he and his friends were doing.
However, Mbuso’s trouble would ease a bit if he manages to prove that his rape accuser had lied about her age.
The victim’s age is also likely to dominate the proceedings, including allegations that she lied to gain access to the restaurant by pretending to be 18.
Last week, Mbuso told the court that his rape accuser’s Facebook account stated that she was born in February 1999.
“This makes her 16 years old,” Mbuso said through his counsel, advocate Nico Swart.