The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday said there was no record of social grants officer Terry Oliphant, who has been charged with statutory rape, ever being a member of the party.
Spokesperson Garth Strachan said the ANC can find no record that Oliphant — who was recently exposed on SABC 3’s Special Assignment programme as allegedly being involved in statutory rape — was ever a member of the ANC.
Oliphant was more recently a member of the Congress of the People (Cope). The party’s spokesperson, Palesa Morudu, said Oliphant was an ordinary member of Cope and that the alleged offences were committed three years ago when he was still a member of the ANC.
Oliphant was suspended from his job on Wednesday and appeared in the Beaufort West Magistrate’s Court on a charge of statutory rape, officials said.
”He has been charged with statutory rape but he hasn’t pleaded yet. That will happen at the start of his trial,” said police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie.
Oliphant’s court appearance came less than a day after current affairs programme Special Assignment broadcast a show on Tuesday evening of his alleged sexual assault of young girls in Beaufort West.
The programme showed how Oliphant made videos of himself having sex with under-aged girls, including a 15-year-old.
Morudu said Oliphant had been suspended from Cope. ”Cope views [his] alleged conduct as depicted in the report as abhorrent … and a crude abuse of power.
”Cope will immediately suspend [his] membership to the party and also institute a disciplinary process.”
Strachan said the ANC condemns such behaviour and urges that the full might of the law be brought in pursuit of these allegations.
Special Assignment reported that he remained in his job at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) despite the charge against him.
But Social Services Minister Zola Skweyiya issued a statement on Wednesday morning, saying he had been suspended and that disciplinary action would be instituted against him.
Skweyiya described his alleged behaviour as ”outrageous, despicable and totally unacceptable”.
”The very essence of Sassa and the Department of Social Development is to protect and assist the most vulnerable members of our society. We cannot have our own staff members violating children,” said Skweyiya.
”While everyone has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, we view the allegations in a very serious light, hence the suspension and disciplinary hearing”.
Oliphant’s case was postponed until March 2. — Sapa