Outrage as man granted bail for allegedly raping his five-year-old great-granddaughter

GBV organisations and political parties, including local councillors, are questioning why the 62-year-old man accused of raping his five-year-old great-granddaughter was granted bail of R2000 a week ago. Various letters have been penned to authorities.

The man, who may not be identified, made an appearance at the Blue Downs Regional Court on December 30, where he is facing a charge of rape. Cape Argus understands the charge was provisionally changed to sexual assault, and the police’s FC Van Wyk previously confirmed that a case of rape was under investigation following the man’s arrest.

Last week and this week, Gender-Based Violence organisations and activists opposed the release on bail of the man by handing over a petition. The child’s 44-year-old grandmother earlier told the Cape Argus that she was suffering secondary trauma, claiming she was allegedly raped by the same man at the age of eight, but that relatives never opened up a case against him.

The matter was postponed to March 3 for further investigation following his release on bail with strict conditions. Sumaya Taliep, PR councillor for the City of Cape Town who also advocates for the rights of women and children, questioned why there were alleged errors when the medical examination was carried out and for a social worker to be assigned.

In a letter shared, Taliep asks: “During court proceedings, I was particularly perturbed by the prosecutor's presentation, specifically the statement that the District Surgeon’s examination date was not accurately recorded in the docket. Given the sensitive nature of this case and the age of the victim, this appears to be a significant oversight,” she wrote. Taliep said they were demanding answers and wanted the case to remain secure.

“I addressed the letter to the unit commander from the FCS Unit,” she said. “It is always about the interest of the child; the fact that he was granted R2000 bail and he may not enter Wesbank, but he is going to be staying in Delft. If the grandmother is alleging he did the same to her, my concern is that he is an alleged unsavoury character. On what grounds was the charge changed from rape to sexual assault? A social worker has been assigned to this case.”

Women for Change, a GBV organisation, called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare GBV a state of disaster and carried out a nationwide protest and standstill on November 21, 2025, leading the president to declare it a crisis. The organisation is also questioning the release on bail of the man.

“It is outrageous and unacceptable that a man accused of repeatedly raping a child can be released on R2000 bail, while the child is forced to live in fear,” it said. “This is not justice; it is a complete failure of our legal system to protect the most vulnerable. Bail decisions like this send a dangerous message: that the safety of children is negotiable, and that perpetrators can walk free while survivors and their families carry the trauma and live in fear. We cannot continue to normalise the release of alleged serial rapists, especially in cases involving children.”

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