Hundreds to picket ahead of Ulundi rape trial
Hundreds of people are expected to picket outside the Mahlabathini Magistrate's Court, near Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal today.
The Community Safety Department is calling on the local community to take a stand against bail being granted to a suspected serial rapist.
The suspect, who cannot yet be named, was arrested two weeks ago in connection with multiple rapes in the area, assault, house-breaking and murder.
The department's Sipho Khumalo says the community must support this initiative.
"Part of the approach of the government is that the people themselves should rise up against these [suspects]. The best way to show that they're angry about this is to go to court in numbers and indicate to the justice system that they're sick and tired.
"They also have to organise themselves into being part of riends of the court, so that they could forward reasons to the court as to why people who are facing rape charges shouldn't be granted bail," he said.
(File photo)