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The man accused of repeatedly raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter in Verulam, north of Durban, says he has a witness who can prove his innocence.
The 43-year-old man's lawyer Mondli Mthethwa asked the Verulam Family Court on Monday to postpone the bail hearing. He said he wanted to call a female witness who would be able to "prove" that the charges against his client were baseless.
He told the court that the woman had known the accused and his stepdaughter for "a long time".
"She would also shed light in relation to the other offences that the accused faced," said Mthethwa.
He said it was impossible that the man had raped his stepdaughter in Verulam from 2013 to 2018, as per the charge sheet, because he had only been living in the area for two months.
READ: KZN man accused of raping stepdaughter claims he was only given painkillers for his injuries
The lawyer also told the court that the man's new alternative address still needed to be verified.
"He can't return to the Verulam address where he had resided before the allegations emerged because the landlord doesn't want him there anymore," said Mthethwa.
The accused has been charged with rape, the sexual grooming of children, sexual assault, and exposure or display of or causing exposure or display of child pornography or pornography to children.
He cannot be identified because he has not yet pleaded to the charges.
While court proceedings continued, a group of Verulam residents could be heard from outside the court as they chanted "no bail".
The accused was still limping when he made his way into and out of court, after residents assaulted him on June 11 when the allegations surfaced.
It is alleged that the girl had been raped since her mother's death five years ago.
News24 reported on June 12 that sex toys, lingerie and pornographic material were strewn around the stepfather after he was beaten at the time.
