Magistrate cites lax border control for denying Ugandan rape accused bail

CAPE TOWN - A magistrate in the Boksburg court has cited the state of South Africa’s borders as one of the reasons to deny bail to a Ugandan national accused of rape.

The 29-year-old man is facing two counts of rape linked to the violation of an 11-year-old girl from Boksburg.

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The man has denied the crime and had brought a bail application, telling the court that his family and his business needed him to stay afloat.

But magistrate Sipho Manana said the man failed to provide exceptional circumstances for his release, which was a requirement based on the seriousness of the crime.

The accused tried to convince the court that giving his passport to the investigating officer would keep him in the country pending the outcome of the case. 

But the magistrate was not sold.

"I know for sure that borders from South Africa and other African neighbouring countries are not that strict. They are not controlled to the strictest condition that one can say for sure that if you do not have a passport, then you cannot evade the country."