Madiba's grandson back in court

The case against the 24-year-old, whose full identity cannot be revealed until he pleads, was postponed on Friday.

His attorney presented four affidavits to Magistrate Pieter Du Plessis detailing why Mandela should be granted bail.

Du Plessis took some time to read the evidence contained in the documents, also stating that Mandela had a pending case against him from earlier in the year.

In his affidavit, Mandela claimed he had consensual sex with the complainant, whose age was called into question during Friday’s proceedings.

Mandela’s attorney told the court her Facebook page said she was born in 1999, adding that the complainant had told the waiter at the restaurant where the alleged rape took place that she was 18 years old.

Du Plessis responded that many things posted on Facebook were not true, and requested that the identity book of the complainant be brought to court on Tuesday. Her age may change what schedule offence Mandela would face.

Gauteng police said on Friday that a 24-year-old man was expected to appear in court for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Mandela was currently facing a schedule six offence, which meant the onus fell on him to persuade the court that he should be granted bail.

The alleged rape took place on August 7, in the bathroom of a restaurant in Greenside, in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs. The complainant alleges Mandela followed her to the bathroom.

- ANA