'Pig rapist' skips bail

2003-09-30 15:06

Zenzele Kuhlase

Nelspruit - An Mpumalanga man accused of having sex with a pig and nearly suffocating her by trying a plastic bag over her head skipped bail on Tuesday.

His mother had to stand up in the Masoyi periodical court and explain why she failed to bring her 22-year-old son to court after promising the court during his last appearance that she would so.

Investigating officer Inspector Andrew Theledi said the mother had signed a J175 form to guarantee she would brought him to court.

She told the court that her son had moved to another village and she couldn't find him.

The court then issued a warrant for his arrest.

The young man from Bhekiswayo tribal trust near Hazyview in Mpumalanga was arrested shortly after the owner of the pig caught him with his pants down behind the animal in March.

He appeared in the Nelspruit regional court on a bestiality charge on September 9, but the case was withdrawn when the magistrate said it should be tried at district level.

The case was then scheduled to be heard in the district court on Tuesday, but the man didn't appear.

Goat owner settled

Inspector Theledi said the suspect was also accused of molesting a goat last year, but his family and the owner of the goat had settled out of court

The owner of the pig, David Mhaule, said the animal had adjusted after the trauma.

Mhaule has eight pigs and said it was not the first time one of them had been violated.

- African Eye