South Africa: Court Temporarily Withdraws Mandela Grandson Rape Case

A South African court Wednesday temporarily abandoned a rape case against the grandson of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela after the prosecution brought an application to “provisionally withdraw prosecution.”

Mbuso Mandela, 25-year-old was accused of raping an underage girl at a pub in Johannesburg last year.

Under South African law, a suspect’s identity cannot be revealed until the accused pleads to the charge.

The National Prosecuting Authority said withdrawing the case for now was in the best interest of the trial as they were probing new evidence linked to the case.

“We have now obtained new information that requires further investigation,” prosecution spokeswoman Phindi Louw told journalists.

Louw said withdrawing the case did not mean that the accused was “off the hook”.

The icon’s grandson was arrested in August 2015, and spent 10 days in custody before being freed on bail.

He is the latest Mandela family member to be embroiled in legal trouble likely to tarnish their name.

Several Mandela family members were in court to support the man who appeared relieved after the magistrate’s ruling.