Louisa Wynand, the Stellenbosch woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Marius Fransman, will have her day in court after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Friday announced it is prosecuting the former Western Cape ANC chairperson.
Authorities initially decided not to prosecute when Wynand, 22, first laid a charge in 2016, but the NPA confirmed Fransman will be tried for sexual assault in the Northern Cape High court next month.
Wynand’s spokesperson, Gavin Prins, said: “She has always had faith in the NPA and will continue to support the police with their investigation.”
Fransman said on Monday he will be consulting with his lawyers “to better understand the decision of the DPP in Kimberly”.
“The full details of the charge are unclear, considering the decision of the authorities in the North West Province 2 years ago not to prosecute,” he said.
In 2016, Wynand accompanied Fransman and three of his friends on a business trip to the ANC’s birthday celebrations in Rustenburg.
After arriving at the Flamingo Hotel in Kimberley on Tuesday, 5 January, at 2.19am, Wynand was allegedly forced to share a bed with Fransman, who had apparently “rubbed himself against her, touching her breasts”.
The ANC’s national disciplinary committee had found Fransman guilty on two counts of misconduct and suspended his ANC membership for five years.