Nelson Mandela ’s grandson, Mbuso Mandela was
granted bail Tuesday by a South African court after
being accused of raping a 15-year-old girl earlier this
month, reports AFP.
The 24-year old is alleged to have raped the teenager
in the toilets of a bar in Johannesburg. His bail was
set at $535 (£340) (7,000 rand) and he was ordered to
surrender his passport.
Mandela’s lawyers have disputed the age of his
accuser, arguing that she was 16 and that sex was
consensual.Under South African law, sex with
someone under 16 is classed as rape whether
consensual or not.
However, the father of the girl claims that his
daughter is actually 15, saying “My daughter doesn’t
even have an ID. She only has a birth certificate. She
was born in 2000, and she definitely is 15 years old. I
have always heard about rape, but once it hits a
person close to you, you realize it’s a painful thing
that you don’t wish on anyone. I’m just praying that
this case will be treated like any other rape case.”
Marinda Veldsman, Mbuso’s lawyer said, “Mbuso
would adhere to his bail conditions because he is a
father of two, with a third child on the way. He does
not have a job.”
“He does not want to be tried as a Mandela, he wants
to be tried as a normal person,” Veldsman assured
the court.
Mbuso is set to reappear in court on September 16
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