Bail denied for Howick man accused of raping a child

Although still visibly angry, residents of the Nxamalala area, a farm community in Howick welcomed the Howick Magistrate’s Court’s decision to deny bail for the man accused of raping an 11-year-old girl. The 46-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, as he is a relative, appeared in court on Monday for judgment on his bail application. During proceedings, the magistrate, Thobani Manzini, read the accused’s bail application affidavit, where he told the court that he wanted to be released on bail to avoid losing his job as a truck driver.

He also claimed that his food business would collapse if he remained in custody. However, in delivering judgment, Manzini ruled that releasing the man would not serve the interests of justice. “Looking at the evidence before me, it is not in the interest of justice to release the accused on bail,” Manzini said.

Outside court, the child’s father, who also cannot be named to protect her identity, said he was relieved that the accused would remain behind bars, adding that irreparable harm had been done to his daughter and the family. I trusted him like a brother, as the man is married to my only surviving sister. “Even when I wasn’t at home, I felt at ease knowing there was a man around.

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Little did I know he would do such a painful thing to my daughter,” the distraught father said. He revealed that it was the child’s teachers who noticed signs that she had been abused, which ultimately led to the man’s arrest last month.

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