Young people fear setting foot at Zanzou again, slam bouncer’s bail

Some young people have expressed disappointment over the bail granted to the Zanzou bouncer who is accused of torture.

The bouncer was released on R10 000 bail after convincing the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court that he is not a flight risk and his family is under threat of eviction while he languishes in jail.

He is alleged to be one of the men who were spotted on a viral video that shocked South Africans, where young Zanzou male patrons were tortured and sexually abused while some men who seemed like bouncers at the joint watched.

The accused, who is in South Africa on a temporary visa, faces charges of compelled rape, and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

One young man, who is perplexed at how the 41-year-old Congolose was released on bail, has told YNews that he doesn’t plan on returning to the club.

“I wouldn’t go there because what if I’m the next victim or something? So I would have fear vele to go there, because heyi, it might happen to me and these days you’ll get that banking apps refuse to login, so what if my banking app doesn’t want yo login?,” probes the concerned youth.

Another young man, Innocent Maluleka, says the suspect should have been kept in custody because the nature of his alleged offenses have traumatised many young people.

“He needs to be kept in custody for his alleged crimes, because it causes a lot of kids trauma. Some are even afraid of clubbing because they fear that what happened at Zanzou might happen to them too,” adds Maluleke.

One young woman believes the Zanzou nightclub should be closed until it changes management.

Karabo Matlala blames the lounge’s current management for the poor treatment of patrons, saying it has brought dishonour to the establishment.

She adds that she is doubtful that anyone would want to return to the club, following the recent torture and sexual abuse scandal that sent shockwaves throughout the country.

“For me personally, its a matter of the management. The place can reopen again, but with different management. The problem is not the club, the club has been great throughout; the vibes there are amazing. The problem is the management and how they treat people at large,” says Matlala.

“The R10 000 bail is so unfair because the victims are gonna now have to go through that trauma every single day and have to remember it for the rest of their lives and it is sexual trauma that is going to linger around them forever. So, I really think that it’s really unfair. Justice has its favourites,” adds Matlala.

Matlala also believes the suspect has, so far, not shown any remorse for his alleged crime.

The matter against the suspect has been postponed to the 5th of May for further investigations and he has been ordered to report to the Sunnyside Police Station three times a week.

He faces 12 charges including compelled rape and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He has pleaded not guilty to all of them and says he intends to comply with the court order for the duration of the trial.

So far, three out of four witnesses have positively linked him to the abuse at Zanzou through ID parades.

He will be residing at his Sunnyside rented apartment with his wife and three kids, who he says he will be providing for.

Magistrate Ernest Mbembele has told the court that the accused is actually facing a Schedule 1 offence, not a Schedule 5. Written by Odirile Rabolao