A Congolese National linked to the sexual assault cases captured on video at the Zanzou nightclub three years ago has been granted bail.
The 41-year-old father, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, has been in custody for more than six weeks before getting R10 000 bail in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, says he is facing eight counts of compelled sexual assault and six counts of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
She says the charges emanate from two dockets opened against the accused following a video taken in April 2022 that recently surfaced online.
Mahanjana says as a result, six complainants, all men, opened case dockets claiming that they were forced to perform sexual acts on themselves, while others said they were assaulted at the club and forced by the bouncers to perform sexual acts on each other.
The video sparked a public outcry and condemnation.
The NPA says the state opposed bail, arguing that the suspect was a flight risk and would evade his trial. It further states that he had no valid travel documents, and his refugee status is still pending, awaiting a decision from the Department of Home Affairs.
Mahanjana says the accused pleaded for bail because he had a wife and three children to provide for and no previous or pending cases against him.
The state granted bail with the condition that the suspect report to Sunnyside police station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
He is also not allowed to leave Pretoria's jurisdiction.
The matter was postponed to the 5th of May for further investigation.
