Ravensmead residents have threatened to kill a 26s gang dik ding accused of viciously raping a 17-year-old meisie if he is granted bail at Bellville Magistrate’s Court.
Kwaad mense protested outside court and filled the public gallery as the rape suspect, Rafiq du Pont, 41, made his second appearance after being busted nearly five months after the rape.
During the bail hearing, investigating officer Constable Chante Klein told the court that Du Pont was gevang while hiding under a car at the home of his mother-in-law in Mitchells Plain.
She explained that according to the teen’s statement, she had been drinking at a jol on April 30.
She was later allegedly offered a drink by Du Pont but after feeling sick, she decided to walk home.
The meisie said he approached her while driving and offered her a lift. She agreed but passed out and only woke up the next day at a lodge in Bellville.
She realised she was kaal and had vaginal injuries, so she went home and told her mother what had happened.
They went to a police station where a rape case was opened – a J88 document confirmed she had vaginal tears.
Klein said that several days later, Du Pont visited the teen’s aunty’s house where he allegedly threatened to hurt mense if anything happened to his brother.
It is understood that his boetie lived with the teen’s family and that was how she knew Du Pont.
Klein said the brother took cops to various places while searching for Du Pont but failed to take him to the home in Beacon Valley, where he lived with his wife and 12-year-old twins.
She said her commander informed her that Du Pont hid under a car when cops arrived at the house. He was busted on September 10.
Klein also revealed that he had two cases in Johannesburg and after failing to attend court five times, warrants of arrest were issued for him, resulting in cops circulating his picture as a wanted person.
She said on the day of his arrest, Du Pont wysed that he was a high-ranking member of the 26s prison gang. He showed her a four stars tjappie on his shoulders, while he had 14 convictions going back to when he was just 14 years old.
Du Pont’s lawyer Sameer Sayeed said his client would plead not guilty to the rape charge, claiming he had consensual sex with the teen.
He said that due to a knee injury caused during a botched hijacking, his client “was unable to rape or kidnap anyone”.
Sayeed said his client’s version was that the teen agreed to go to the lodge but wanted to stay longer, while he had to leave.
He further stated that Du Pont’s gang tjappies do not prove that he is violent or a rapist.
Du Pont has also claimed the teen’s family tried to extort as much as R50 000 from him to drop all charges.
Due to confusion surrounding footage from the lodge, as well as claims that the initial investigating officer did not believe there was a case, the presiding magistrate gooied several questions he wanted answers to before making a ruling.
The case was postponed to October 5 for the continuation of the bail hearing.
Outside court, the teen’s 38-year-old mother, who may not be named, explained the family lodged a complaint about the first investigating officer after he allegedly tried to convince her laaitie she had consented to sex.
“She is still very traumatised and she did not consent,” the mom added.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za