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Man, 84, to appear on rape charges

ACCUSED: Ngudwa Malinga. 06/08/07. © Unknown.
ACCUSED: Ngudwa Malinga. 06/08/07. © Unknown.

McKeed Kotlolo

McKeed Kotlolo

A trial date has been set in the case of an 84-year-old Mpumalanga traditional healer who is accused of raping 15 minors.

Ngudwa Malinga of Carolina is to stand trial with Lina Zwane, 30, also of Carolina, in the local Sexual Offences Court on October 23.

The two appeared in the Carolina District Court last week before Magistrate A Masteroudes who postponed the matter to October 23 for trial.

Zwane's bail was extended while the frail Malinga, who walked with difficulty and spoke softly, was remanded in custody.

Unlike previous appearances where he refused to be photographed, accusing the media of writing lies about him, this time he faced the camera and complained about his case being postponed yet again.

Wearing a long grey coat and carrying a yellow plastic bag, he towered over the short female police officer who escorted him back to the holding cells.

During his last appearance a month ago, it was speculated that his case would be transferred to the High Court once the directorate of public prosecutions had decided to prosecute.

Malinga is alleged to have raped the young girls, aged between four and 15, who he had kept as sex slaves on his farm.

Every night, the girls allegedly had to parade naked before him in order for him to choose one to spend the night with.

After learning that the police were looking for him, he handed himself over to the Carolina police.

His bail application was refused twice because it was opposed by a social worker, the investigating officer Constable Gloria Langa, and the ANC Women's League.

During his last bail application, the defence brought two witnesses: the mother of a six-year-old victim, and a woman living on his farm. The victim's mother conceded that she took her daughter to Malinga, who paid her for her daughter's two-year stay at the farm.

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