CAPE ARGUS, ARTICLE BY SIYABONGA SESANT
A Doctor working at a Nyanga clinic who allegedly raped and sexually assaulted a 26-year-old patient this week has been implicated in three other rape cases in the Mitchells Plain area dating back two years.
During his first court appearance yesterday, a sturdy and stony-faced Oluwabusuyi Babalola, 46, glanced briefly at the gallery of Court 4 of the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, where his wife and two family members had been seated.
He had spent 48 hours in custody after his arrest on Monday.
State prosecutor Phumeza Mtuyedwa-Zondi told the court Babalola would face three additional counts of rape, which allegedly took place in 2014.
The three charges would be added to the one count of rape and another of sexual assault he had been arrested for this week, Mtuyedwa-Zondi said.
Babalola’s lawyer, Likhayi Makana, cried foul, saying the prosecution had not disclosed the additional charges to the defence in time. “I was just informed about the previous cases today (Wednesday),” Makana said, questioning the timing of the added cases against his client.
“It doesn’t make sense because if the State is to be believed, why have they not been finalised yet?”
Makana argued that Babalola “is a married man and the breadwinner of his family and has two young children who are under the age of five years old.” But the State said all the charges were still being investigated and requested a postponement.
While the details of the 2014 cases have not been revealed, Babalola is believed to have allegedly forced himself on a 26-year-old patient at the Nyanga community clinic on Monday after she had visited the institution because of back pain.
The patient’s sister said the doctor told her he suspected she had a vaginal infection and had instructed her to lie on the edge of the clinic bed. Mtuyedwa-Zondi told the court Babalola then rubbed the woman’s vagina and inserted his fingers before allegedly raping her.
The prosecution said investigators had linked Babalola to three rapes in Mitchells Plain in 2014. Mtuyedwa-Zondi could, however, not provide further details.
Western Cape Health Department spokesman Mark van der Heever yesterday said the department was only aware of the incident which is alleged to have taken place in Nyanga this week.
“It was immediately reported by our staff (to police), leading to the arrest of the doctor,” Van der Heever said in a response via e-mail.
“He (Babalola) was employed as a locum doctor via an agency. The Department has since suspended all ties with the agency pending the outcome of the investigation.
“We regret any criminal incident which occurs at our facilities (and) are assisting SAPS with the investigation and have provided trauma counselling to the victim,” Van der Heever said.
The case had been postponed to October 11 for a formal bail application.