Former EFF Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Zilindile Vena has his sights set firmly on getting back into politics after his rape acquittal this week.
Found not guilty of rape after a court found his accuser’s version of events to be contradictory and improbable, Vena must now pick up the pieces of his life.
The Gqeberha regional court discharged him on Tuesday due to a lack of DNA evidence, no corroborating witnesses and an improbable version from the complainant.
Instead, it was found that Vena, who stepped down from his position in politics when the charges first came to light, had been credible and honest in the witness box.
Vena handed himself over to police shortly after the allegations came to light in February 2020.
A Nelson Mandela University student had accused him of raping her after a Valentine’s Day party at his apartment in Central.
Vena also voluntarily stepped down from his position in the EFF and released a statement vowing to challenge the rape claims.
He explained that at the time he had voluntarily asked his organisation to relieve him from his duties because of the sensitivity and seriousness of the matter.
After his acquittal, he had asked the EFF to lift his suspension so he could resume his duties.
EFF regional chair Amandlangawethu Madaka said he was not aware of the request.
However, he said Vena was a national leader and his matter would therefore need to be dealt with nationally by the secretary-general and central command team (CCT) members.
“What I received from him was his resignation as a councillor and I suspended his membership regionally, but the rest would be with national leadership and we would take guidance from national,” he said.
Madaka said the party welcomed the not-guilty verdict.
EFF national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Vena was elected during the 2019 conference to be a member in the central command.
He said since his suspension no vacant positions in the council had come about and there were therefore no suggestions that he would go back to council just yet.
“I have written to the EFF CCT level as a leader and it is following the internal processes for leadership to advise on what must happen moving forward,” he said.
He said he would be guided by the leadership on the status of his membership.
“I have a membership that has been suspended due to the case and it is the right of the EFF to decide on what should happen moving forward.
“I have briefed the leadership in an email.”
Vena said despite his suspension, he had remained an activist.
He said he was now free to engage in politics within the society.
Vena said the 17-month trial had not been an easy journey, and it had affected his entire family.
“It was a very sensitive issue, especially while the country is dealing with so many [sexual abuse] matters.”
He had grounded himself because of his revolutionary consciousness, he said.
“It affected my mother and family.
“I tried to hide it from her as I am a firstborn child, but the stigma that comes with being accused of rape is heavy, not only for the accused but for the complainant as well.”
He said he felt the court had treated him fairly.
HeraldLIVE