Africa-Press – South-Africa. Cosatu condemned the behaviour of one of its delegates accused of raping his friend’s girlfriend.
In a statement on Wednesday, Cosatu said it was “deeply concerned” about the allegations levelled against one of the delegates attending its 14th National Congress in Midrand, Gauteng.
It said the alleged rape implicating a congress delegate was appalling given that it happened at a time “when one of the issues under discussion at the gathering was the scourge of gender-based violence devastating the nation”.
“These are serious allegations that have taken place in a gathering where one of the issues under discussion is the scourge of gender-based violence devastating the nation.
“Rape is a detestable crime that goes against everything that the federation believes in, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,” it said.
Cosatu said it placed its trust in the country’s law enforcement agencies to unravel the facts of the case.
“Since this is now a criminal matter, the federation will refrain from commenting any further but will allow for rules of natural justice to take place,” it said.
Life in prison for Pretoria man who repeatedly raped stepdaughter
On Tuesday, a delegate and top union leader was arrested for allegedly raping his friend’s girlfriend.
The suspect, who had only been identified as a popular union leader, was arrested by Midrand police while attending the conference currently under way at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg.
The arrest took place after a woman alleged that the assailant forced himself on her on Monday night.
The victim had spent the night at the Regal Hotel in Noordwyk, Midrand, with her boyfriend after he had returned from the conference.
She claimed that when she woke up on Tuesday morning, her boyfriend was gone, and instead, the assailant was lying next to her.
“She discovered that the union leader had sex with her without her consent,” said a police officer.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Dimakatso Sello confirmed that the suspect was arrested on rape allegations.
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