Strike holds up bail application

THE BAIL application of a man charged with abducting and raping a teenager in Bezuidenhout Valley was postponed yesterday due to a Cosatu march.

The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court was one of several institutions affected by yesterday’s strike after the court’s stenographers and interpreters, who are members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), took part in the mass cross-sector strike. Nehawu is an affiliate of Cosatu. The prosecution explained to magistrate Paul du Plessis that the bail application couldn’t continue.

“We have a problem… as you know there are no stenographers or interpreters because of the strike.”

Du Plessis addressed the accused, who last week was charged with three counts of rape and two of kidnapping.

“We cannot go ahead today because they are on strike and this is a schedule six case. There can be no bail application without a stenographer recording the proceedings,” Du Plessis said.

The defence sympathised with Du Plessis and the court, agreeing to postpone the bail hearing.

The accused was hunted down by Jeppe police after he allegedly kidnapped the teenager and kept her in a filthy back room in the Joburg suburb.

The man had allegedly been stalking the girl and two of her friends for weeks before kidnapping her on September 12 and holding her hostage until the early hours of September 14. He allegedly sexually and physically assaulted her for several hours.

The case has been postponed to Wednesday.