Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola has confirmed the suspension of Umlazi’s former sexual offences magistrate Kholeka Bodlani.
The Magistrates Commission has accused Bodlani of being too soft on rapists. At least eight of her sentences – some of which set rapists free with suspended sentences – have been overturned by other judges.
According to the Sunday Times, Bodlani has:
- Set free a man accused of raping a teenage girl because he carried a bag, styled his hair and did the washing
- Described a man convicted of raping his 11-year-old as a “loving father”, and then set him free
- Asked a girl who was allegedly raped by her uncle at the age of seven: “When uncle was finished what he was doing, how did you feel?”
South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape and sexual violence in the world.
.
