The former deputy mayor of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting an employee in his office.
Mlandeli Abednico Nyuka was sentenced in the Oudtshoorn magistrate's court.
It was his “second conviction and sentence for sexual assault using the same modus operandi”, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said on Monday.
Prosecutor Mervan Saaiman told the court that on the day in question, Nyuka called the victim into his office and locked the door. He initially tried to manipulate the employee, claiming he would ensure she received a promotion.
“He then proceeded to lift her dress and touched her private parts without her permission. Luckily the telephone rang, and the accused answered it. The complainant took the chance to leave the office and ran outside. She was shocked by the incident,” said Ntabazalila.
Nyuka refuted this version of events during the trial, saying the complainant was part of a different faction in their political party, Saamstaan, which applied to the high court to have him removed from the party.
“During cross-examination, he alleged she offered him sexual favours in exchange for everything he did for her. He could not satisfactorily explain why this version was not put to her, and that it was only proffered during the defence case. She denied his allegations and testified she always supported him in party matters,” said Ntabazalila.
A witness, who helped the victim report the matter to the police, also testified.
Magistrate Sylvia Mandla found Nyuka had fabricated his evidence and was not a good witness.
Ntabazalila said: “She found he abused his seniority to obtain sexual favours and convicted him on a count of sexual assault. During sentencing proceedings, Saaiman requested the investigating officer to obtain a case docket from the archives which proved the accused’s previous conviction of sexual assault, with the same modus operandi. The state argued that he is a sexual predator who abused his position.”
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‘Sexual predator who abused his position’: former Oudtshoorn deputy mayor jailed for sexual assault
Image: 123RF/sonymega
The former deputy mayor of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting an employee in his office.
Mlandeli Abednico Nyuka was sentenced in the Oudtshoorn magistrate's court.
It was his “second conviction and sentence for sexual assault using the same modus operandi”, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said on Monday.
Prosecutor Mervan Saaiman told the court that on the day in question, Nyuka called the victim into his office and locked the door. He initially tried to manipulate the employee, claiming he would ensure she received a promotion.
“He then proceeded to lift her dress and touched her private parts without her permission. Luckily the telephone rang, and the accused answered it. The complainant took the chance to leave the office and ran outside. She was shocked by the incident,” said Ntabazalila.
Nyuka refuted this version of events during the trial, saying the complainant was part of a different faction in their political party, Saamstaan, which applied to the high court to have him removed from the party.
“During cross-examination, he alleged she offered him sexual favours in exchange for everything he did for her. He could not satisfactorily explain why this version was not put to her, and that it was only proffered during the defence case. She denied his allegations and testified she always supported him in party matters,” said Ntabazalila.
A witness, who helped the victim report the matter to the police, also testified.
Magistrate Sylvia Mandla found Nyuka had fabricated his evidence and was not a good witness.
Ntabazalila said: “She found he abused his seniority to obtain sexual favours and convicted him on a count of sexual assault. During sentencing proceedings, Saaiman requested the investigating officer to obtain a case docket from the archives which proved the accused’s previous conviction of sexual assault, with the same modus operandi. The state argued that he is a sexual predator who abused his position.”
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