ANC fires ward councillor accused of raping two boys
The ANC has dismissed North West ANC ward councillor, Tebogo Sepale, who is accused of statutory rape of two boys.
ANC provincial spokesperson, Tumelo Maruping, told Sowetan on Monday that the party's provincial disciplinary committee made the decision to dismiss Sepale in December.
"We welcome the decision of the disciplinary committee. The ANC will write to the IEC (the Electoral Commission of South Africa) to remove him from its list of the ANC now that he is no longer a member. The next process will be the declaration of vacancy at the council," Maruping said.
Maruping said the ANC had not yet communicated the sanction to Sepale.
Sepale, a ward councillor in the Matlosana local municipality, was arrested in May last year.
He was denied bail at the Orkney magistrate's court in November following several postponements.
Sepale continued earning a salary as a ward councillor while languishing in prison.
The ANC said at the time its hands were tied from removing the rape-accused councillor from its deployees list.
Sepale is facing 11 charges – two of statutory rape, three for the violation of a child, one for manufacturing pornographic material, four for rape and one for sexual intimidation.
He is expected to appear in court again on January 17.
chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za