Brandon Nel
POLICE are investigating a case of sexual assault and rape against a former karate instructor who allegedly impregnated a then-15-year-old girl.
A whistleblower has been trying to get authorities to take action and investigate allegations of sexual assault and rape involving three teenagers who were given karate lessons on the West Coast by the instructor whose name is known to the Weekend Argus.
The allegations were first documented in a report sent to Premier Alan Winde’s office, dated July, 2020. The report highlights allegations of corruption and sexual abuse at the Karate Association of the Western Cape (KAWC) which its leadership was allegedly trying to cover up.
Chief among the allegations is that an instructor, who was among the leadership of the KAWC, between 2017 and 2018 sexually assaulted and raped under-age female karate athletes.
At least three girls were said to have allegedly been impregnated by the instructor.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said investigations were under way in a case of a minor. This may lead to the other coming forward.
“One of these (girls) fell pregnant and that is the one I know of. There were some others but the one that is under investigation is where the minor became pregnant,” he said.
“We took some samples to verify with our forensic lab that we are waiting to verify or confirm whether the child is his.
“At this stage we are investigating both sexual assault and rape. There may be others who came out during the week to open cases but the one we are aware of is the one who fell pregnant and we only became aware of this after the birth of the child.”
In a telephone interview, the former instructor said he was aware of the allegations against him but said he thought “it was water under the bridge”.
According to the report sent to Winde’s office nearly two years ago, three girls allegedly were made pregnant by the instructor.
“The most recent incidents that we know about, took place in 2017 and 2018,” read the report.
Winde’s chief of staff, Odette Cason, confirmed that the premier’s office received the report.
“(The report) was sent to the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) to follow up,” she said.
The office of MEC for Cultural Affairs Anroux Marais said it had contacted the whistleblower for a meeting but the person had declined.
Marais’s spokesperson, Stacy McLean, said the matter was then sent to the Chief Directorate of Sports to investigate the allegations internally and compile a report for the MEC.
“A copy of the allegations was sent to the West Coast Karate Association, to which they responded. There appears to be a criminal case that has been made against the person in question. Clarity on who laid this criminal case is still vague,” she said.
“Offences relating to this matter should be investigated by SAPS. It was proposed that the victims lay charges against the alleged perpetrator.
The instructor belonged to Karate Zen.
“Karate Zen informed (us) that the specific person referred to was suspended pending the investigation initiated based on the allegations noted in (the) correspondence. The DCAS was unable to take the matter further as the whistleblower did not want to come forward.”
The whistleblower, who received death threats, states in the report that the instructor was good friends with the organisation’s provincial president and his wife, a police officer. The instructor was advised to resign to avoid internal investigation.
“It is alleged that they told the instructor not to renew his affiliation. They organised for the instructor to resign from all karate structures so that KAWC could not proceed with any disciplinary hearing and be held liable to report these sexual offences to the necessary authorities,” read the report.
“Apparently, they also instructed the parents of these young athletes not to go public and keep it quiet, and said it will be handled (internally).
“They informed the parents of these young athletes that if they go public and speak out, these girls will be expelled from KSA and their karate career will be ruined.”
According to sources, the wife of the provincial leader informed Karate South Africa’s (KSA) president, Sonny Pillay, to handle the matter internally, something Pillay, at first, vehemently denied.
But later Pillay said: “The guy you are referring to comes from ... organisation ... took action against him,” Pillay said.
A former secretary general of KSA, Gillian Elson, said during her time at the organisation the matter was handled by the provincial structure.
“I was the secretary-general from 2016 to 2020 and I know something happened in the West Coast region involving an instructor ... there was a situation surround a rape,” she said.
“And when certain matters happen in a province, it was common practice to allow the province and the president (Pillay) to handle the matter.
“But my honest opinion is that the federation did not take the allegations seriously, especially those revolving around GBV.”
The lobby group, Action Society, said it was “disturbing and “deeply discomforting” that Winde and one of his cabinet members did nothing about the allegations.