By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
A 38-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for the alleged rape of a minor. It is alleged that Paki Mqikela who is an ANC ward councillor in Klerksdorp raped the minor between April and August 2019 in Tigane Location, Hartbeesfontein.
The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said the matter was subsequently reported to the police on Thursday last week and Mqikela was arrested after he handed himself over to the Klerksdorp Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) on Monday.
“The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed the arrest and indicated that the police will continue to work hard to ensure that alleged sexual offenders are brought to book to face the full might of the law,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in North West applauded the police for the swift arrest of the suspected statutory rape perpetrator.
ANCWL acting provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane said: “The perpetrator is said to have impregnated an underage girl, with conversations in the social media showing that he wanted to cover-up his disgusting deeds on fears of losing his status and/or career.
“The league is calling on the administrators of justice and all other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the alleged perpetrator is removed from the society and never see any slightest light of the day.”
Lenkopane added that what infuriates them more was that, the suspect is an ANC ward councillor from the City of Matlosana, who in the position he holds must be at the forefront of fighting all kinds of criminal activities in the city with child and women protection topping the list.
She said back in 2019, the ANCWL during its campaigns against Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Matlosana held discussions and handed memorandum over to the municipality and government departments, calling for an end to this kind of misogynistic behaviour.
“The league calls for creatures of this nature to be removed from communities and the protection of children and women should be strengthened through harsher punishment on everyone found to have been in the opposing side of the laws relating to the matter.
“We also call on the department of social development and child protection unit in the province to ensure that all affected by the incident are protected. We will not protect anyone who perpetrates this kind of crime irrespective of their status and or office they hold. The ANC as a liberation movement has no mandate of any position to send and allow its public representatives to abuse their position,” she said.
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