Job promise ends in 'rape' - increase in cases of men being raped

A Zew Zealander who allegedly lured a jobseeker to his home in Kempton Park and raped him has been granted bail.

The 56-year-old man appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court in Ekurhuleni yesterday.

The man allegedly picked up the 25-year-old man from the side of the road in Edenvale where he usually sat every day hoping for piece jobs.

The accused allegedly took him to his house in Kempton Park under the guise that he wanted the victim to tend to his garden.

Police spokesman Captain Manyadza Ralidzhivha said the victim told police that the accused stopped his car near his job-seeking spot and called him.

He told him that he was looking for a gardener and offered to pay him R150 for a day's job.

"He then got into the car and they drove to the accused's house. He opened the door for him but he was surprised when the accused led him to the shower," he said.

Ralidzhivha said the gardener was forcefully undressed.

"He said he was ordered to bend over and hold the toilet seat before he was raped.

"A few moments later, the accused took him to a bedroom where he raped him again."

Ralidzhivha said the victim was released at about 3pm. "He stopped a police vehicle that he saw in the street and immediately reported the matter. The accused was later arrested," he said.

Dressed in a black sweater and charcoal-coloured trousers, the accused stood motionless in the dock. He did not once look around during his bail application.

But as he exited the court, he threw a single glance at the gallery and looked straight again.

Magistrate Cornel Pretorius granted him R5000 bail after state prosecutor Tracey Sikhonde did not oppose bail.

Sikhonde said she had no grounds to oppose bail because the state was in possession of the accused's passport.

The accused said in a statement read to the court by his lawyer Pieter Pretorius that he intended to plead not guilty.

The matter was postponed to May 25.

ratsatsip@sowetan.co.za