Nelson Mandela's Grandson a Rapist? Mbuso Facing Possible Jail Time for Alleged Act on 15-year-old Girl
Mbuso Mandela, the grandson of African liberty icon Nelson Mandela, has made the headlines after facing a Johannesburg court on Monday for an alleged rape case.
According to the Daily Sun, Mandela's 24-year-old grandchild has been accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in the toilet of a restaurant at Greenside, Joburg on August 7.
"Apparently she went to the toilet and he grabbed her and raped her inside one of the toilets," the spokesman of the victim's family stated.
"According to the complainant, it happened on 7 August 2015. It was reported to the police on the 14 August 2015," Brigadier Mashadi Selepe, the spokesperson for the Gauteng police told UK news bureau The Guardian.
"At this stage, the matter has been taken for judicial determination, and the National Prosecuting Authority will comment further. The investigation by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit continues," she explained further.
According to him, the victim, whose name was not released because of her juvenile status, lived with her mother at the time.
As soon as the family got word of the horrid incident, the 15-year-old girl's father tried to file a case without success.
A bodyguard assigned to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mbuso's mother, allegedly talked to the family pretending to be a cop.
"The father was told there was no need to arrest the suspect but when the father asked to see his badge, he didn't have one. It turned out he had been sent by Winnie," the spokesperson revealed.
The spokesperson also said that the Mandela matriarch requested time to "deal" with the issue.
iOL News reported that Mbuso's mother was unavailable for comment about the allegations, though an assistant suggested that a statement on the matter might be released by Tuesday.
Angered, the victim's family suspected that because of his last name, the suspect would be treated differently.
Selepe said this would not happen, emphasizing that Mandela would not receive any special treatment.
"All the rights of suspects are upheld during their investigation and lawful custody," Selepe said.
E! News reported that the case may become high-profile because Mbuso is one of the 17 grandchildren of the late South African president.
Nelson Mandela became one of the biggest names during South Africa's liberation Struggle, and was instrumental in ending apartheid in the country.
Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and was imprisoned for 27 years before he was elected into office in 1994 as the first black president of his country.