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A well-known farmer from Aberdeen, facing serious charges of rape and human trafficking in the Eastern Cape is expected to apply for bail in the local Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The 41-year-old man, whose name is known to Algoa FM News, is currently out on bail for allegedly raping his seven-year-old daughter on several occasions.
His name may therefore not be used to protect the identity of his child.
The farmer has been in custody since his latest arrest earlier this month but is no stranger to legal woes.
In January 2013, he was the fifth man to be arrested and charged for allegedly plotting to kill President Jacob Zuma and other high-ranking ANC officials during the Mangaung conference in 2012.
The trial of his co-accused became known as the "Boeremag Trial" which ran for over a decade.
In a surprising turn of events, a month after the farmer's arrest in February of 2013, all treason charges were withdrawn against him in the Bloemfontein regional court.
The State believed he was part of the conspiracy in that he was tasked to blow up fuel tanks in Gqeberha.
At the time, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) did not want to elaborate as to whether or not the charges were withdrawn in exchange for his testimony.
The latest charges against the EC farmer stem from several incidents dating back to 2020.
His farm, which is situated about 35 km outside Aberdeen in the direction of Willowmore along the N9, is reportedly deserted.
In November 2017, he took to social media pleading with the public to assist farmers who had lost livestock as a result of the drought that was described as one of the worst in the region's history.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli says the farmer is now linked to at least five cases of human trafficking and rape between 2020 and 2023 in the Eastern Cape and in other provinces.
According to a report in the Graaff-Reinet Advertiser, the farmer was found guilty on one charge of human trafficking and sexual assault following an incident in De Rust in October of 2021.
