The case of a Rocklands man who had his penis amputated, allegedly by the enraged mother of the five-year-old girl he is accused of raping and murdering, was postponed to Thursday after his lawyer withdrew from the matter.
Advocate Johan van der Spuy, from Legal Aid SA, confirmed to the Gqeberha high court on Tuesday that his mandate had been terminated by his 24-year-old client, due to ethical reasons, but did not elaborate further.
Shortly thereafter, Xolile Bodlo was appointed to the case and confirmed that he would be ready to proceed with the trial on Thursday.
The man is accused raping and killing little Chantelle Makwena in August 2019.
Meanwhile, Chantelle’s mother, Veronique Makwena, the girl’s aunt, Noxolo Maneli, and family friend Siyabonga Pakade, who face charges of attempted murder after they allegedly attacked him and cut off his penis before placing it in his mouth, are expected back in court for their case on Tuesday next week.
They are out on bail of R500 each, while the man, who cannot be named until he pleads to the rape charge, remains in custody.
It is alleged that on August 2 2019, the man was left in the company of Chantelle, her nine-year-old cousin and two other adults at a house on the Withoogte plot near Rocklands Road.
Makwena had left the house with her nine-month-old baby and a friend to visit another person.
Shortly after leaving the property, one of the people left behind with the accused ran up to Makwena and told her that the man had wanted to have sex with her so she had left the house, leaving the accused and another man behind with the two girls.
When Makwena returned home, she discovered the front door of the house was open and Chantelle was gone.
A friend of the mother suggested that the child might be with her father and that they should search for her in the morning.
The next day, it was discovered Chantelle was not with her father and a search for her started.
Chantelle’s body was later found by her father in a dilapidated toilet.
It is alleged she died from injuries sustained after being hit on the head with an unknown object.
The man was arrested but later released from custody.
On September 21 2019, Makwena, Maneli and Pakade, allegedly went to the man’s home and attacked him, severing his penis in the process.
He was taken to hospital for treatment and his penis reattached. He has been in custody since.
It was not the first time the man had been accused of rape.
According to the indictment, on November 10 2018, at about 7pm, a 50-year-old woman, who is not being named due to the nature of the crime, left her Rocklands home to visit a friend nearby.
While walking past the man’s Brackfontein, Rocklands home, she heard someone running up behind her before she was grabbed and pushed to the ground.
She was threatened with a knife before the man allegedly raped her.
The next day the woman reported the incident to a friend and the matter was reported to the police.
The man was arrested a month later but released shortly afterwards.
The reasons and conditions of his release were not immediately clear.
HeraldLIVE
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