Nelson Mandela’s Grandson Arrested, Charged With Rape
Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mbuso, was arrested and charged with rape in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although he is the grandson of a former president, authorities said the 24-year-old man will not receive any special treatment or leniency.
Mandelas grandson in court charged with rape http://t.co/x3X5wCllus @GbamTVGlobal #GBAMTV #MBUSOMANDELA #MANDELA pic.twitter.com/VULfowOeq4
— GbamTV (@GbamTVFan) August 19, 2015
The alleged victim claims the incident occurred in an “African-themed bar and restaurant” called Mammas Shebeen on August 7.
As reported by the Guardian, the 15-year-old girl said Mbuso Mandela followed her into a restroom and proceeded to rape her inside one of the stalls.
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Mashadi Selepe confirmed the rape was reported on August 14. It is unclear why the teen’s family waited one week to report the assault. However, a family spokesperson claims they were intimidated by the Mandelas.
Nelson Mandela’s grandson charged with raping teen girl in toilet http://t.co/y8TwrlKUOi pic.twitter.com/alJh0RXqCb
— Daily Star (@Daily_Star) August 19, 2015
According to the spokesperson, the teen’s father approached Winnie Madikizela-Mandela about her grandson’s behavior. Winnie promised to surrender Mbuso to authorities. However, she asked for “time to deal with the issue.”
In an interview with Daily Sun, the spokesperson describes what happened next.
“… Winnie’s bodyguard went to the family pretending to be a cop. The father was told there was no need to arrest the suspect but when the father asked to see his badge, he didn’t have one. It turned out he had been sent by Winnie.”
Although Winnie reportedly tried to interfere, Nelson Mandela’s grandson was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault over the weekend.
Mbuso Mandela appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday afternoon. However, he will remain in custody until his bail hearing — which is scheduled for Friday.
Mammas Shebeen owner Yaw Dwomoh confirmed his restaurant is outfitted with security cameras. However, “they only hold 120 hours [of footage], so by now they have been erased.”
Dwomoh said he is willing to cooperate with the investigation, but has not been interviewed by police.
At the time of his death in December 2013, Nelson Mandela had 17 grandchildren. Unfortunately, Mbuso Mandela is not the only one to face legal issues.
Earlier this year, Mandla Mandela was convicted of physically assaulting another motorist during a road rage incident.
Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mbuso has not entered a plea to the charges. However, his representative indicated he will enter a plea and request bail on Friday.
[Image via Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images]
