A suspended ANC ward councillor from Matlosana Municipality in North West who is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage boys was a no-show at court on Monday. Tebogo Sepale (43) was arrested on 8 May after a video of him having sexual intercourse with boys circulated on social media.

THE CHARGES

The parents of two boys aged 15 and 17 opened statutory rape cases against the councillor who has since been suspended by the ANC. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said this is after a recorded video of a man having sexual intercourse with a boy went viral on social media platforms, including WhatsApp. Mamothame said Sepale is facing eleven provisional charges, two for statutory rape, three for the violation of a child with consent, one for manufacturing pornographic material, four for rape and one for sexual intimidation. "In one of the cases, the suspect allegedly shared a nude picture of his private parts with the complainant, in the second and separate case, but involving the same suspect, two counts of statutory rape were laid on Saturday 6 May 2023, by the parents of two boys. He will remain in police custody until his next court appearance,' added Mamothane. The case is being investigated by Klerksdorp Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit.

NOT IN COURT

Mamothame confirmed that Sepale who is in custody was not in court on Monday. "His attorney appeared on his behalf as he was absent from court for unknown reasons. The state intends to oppose his bail application. The state is awaiting the conclusion of investigations to possibly add more charges against the accused,' Henry said. Sepale was suspended from the ANC on 5 May after the videos went viral. The case was postponed to 7 July 2023, for further investigations and bail application.