Land Party candidate under fire for child rape allegations

In recent months, Mehmet Dag has raised his profile with a prolific and racially inflammatory social media presence. Yesterday, Tim Flack took him to task.

Tim Flack

By 

Tim Flack

Published 

Aug 22, 2024

Land Party candidate under fire for child rape allegations

Editor’s note: This article is a lightly formatted version of a thread posted by Tim Flack on X. This significance of this character exposé is that Mehmet Dag has appeared as the most visible spokesman of the Land Party, which is associated with anti-minority racism, street violence and land invasions. They are generally regarded as having been instrumental in the ongoing ruination of the south coast town of Hermanus.

Dag has gained a reputation online for wildly speculative and defamatory remarks against political enemies of black nationalism, mainly against Afrikaners and Jews, usually with broad accusations of their inhumanity. His racially motivated attacks are often accompanied by calls for the expropriation and expulsion of minorities, as well as more personally defamatory attacks.

I have included his response to the accusations below the article.

Mehmet Vefa Dag, Turkish national/ failed politician has long been a figure of controversy in the country's political landscape. Known for his virulent homophobia and antisemitism, Dag has made a name for himself through inflammatory rhetoric and discriminatory campaigns, particularly targeting the LGBTQ+ community and Jewish people.

However, beyond his online persona of a supposed 'caring' and 'patriotic leader' lies a deeply troubling personal history—one that culminated in the removal of his own children by the Indonesian government due to allegations of abuse.

Everything is public record and can be seen on the Indonesian Consulate's website and in court documents.

Dag had married an Indonesian woman, Farah Munif, and they lived in Cape Town, South Africa. During their 10-year marriage, the family lived in deplorable conditions—a small room behind a store with no bathroom facilities, forcing them to use public restrooms.

Farah passed away in 2019 after battling cancer, leaving their children in the care of Dag, according to the Indonesian Consulate In Cape Town. The situation worsened after Farah's death. Reports surfaced that Dag was abusive toward his children, particularly the eldest child, who has Down syndrome and is non-verbal. The abuse allegations included both physical and emotional harm, including rape, and due to the child's condition, the police were unable to process complaints made by a social worker.

Following Farah's death, Dag remarried, she had two children from a previous marriage and another with Dag. Insoaaf also became a victim of Dag's abusive behaviour and eventually fled with all six children—three from Farah and three of her own. The Indonesian Consulate in Cape Town intervened, providing shelter and logistical support for the woman and the children.

The case escalated to the Western Cape High Court, where a decision was made on May 30, 2022. The court ruled to terminate Dag's guardianship of his children, transferring custody to their aunt, Khairunnisa, Farah's younger brother. The court also granted permission for the children's relocation to Indonesia, recognizing the urgency of the situation due to the abuse and neglect they had suffered.

The involvement of the Indonesian Consulate was instrumental in expediting the legal process, they were assisted by a fantastic Adv. Muhammad Abduroaf based in Cape Town. The Consulate's support, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, ensured that the case was resolved quickly, with the judge aiming to protect the children's welfare.

The details of public court documents are horrendous. The report by the Family Advocate has a lot to say about Dag and how he treated his dying wife, and children. One child has Down syndrome. The second Respondent is the ex wife who ran away with the kids and looked after them while the courts helped them. I have blacked her name out to protect her. There are allegations that she was also abused by Dag too.

The Brief Background makes shocking statements that Dags then domestic worker reported a case of sexual assault. The child with Down Syndrome. According to the medical report at the time the minor "had been penetrated" and was removed immediately from Dags care and placed in temporary safe care.

In the consultation, the family counsellor noted that the minor child does not recognize the First Respondent as part of their family, expressing a desire for another "daddy." The child witnessed the First Respondent physically abusing his late mother and also mentioned that the First Respondent hit the sibling with Down syndrome because they were unable to perform tasks independently. Furthermore, the child recounted an incident where the First Respondent threatened to hit the Second Respondent with a sword.

Mr. [REDACTED], who worked as the Second Respondent's driver for nine years, provided testimony regarding the First Respondent's behavior towards the children. He observed the First Respondent disciplining the children by slapping them for normal behaviours and noted that one child, in particular, was hit the most due to their inability to do things for themself (This child has Down Syndrome). Mr. [REDACTED] also mentioned that employees who advised against hitting the children were dismissed. He witnessed the children's late mother being physically abused by the First Respondent, even when she was suffering from cancer (He beat a woman dying of cancer). Mr. [REDACTED] expressed the belief that the First Respondent is more concerned with money than with the well-being of his children or partner. He further stated that the children would sometimes go for weeks or months without bathing and suggested that it would be best for them to relocate to their maternal family in Indonesia due to the First Respondent's inability to care for them properly.

The court document further describes the rape of the minor with Down Syndrome allegedly committed by Dag. The J88 report regarding [REDACTED Minor with Down Syndrome] revealed evidence consistent with forcible virginal and anal penetration, suggesting severe sexual abuse, and indicated that the child appeared to be neglected. However, the doctor who completed the J88, Dr. Narula, has since passed away. Additionally, the domestic worker who initially reported the sexual molestation has moved back to Zimbabwe.

Additional information about the case when family came to visit. The biological mother of the minor children passed away on November 30, 2018. According to the maternal aunt, she had previously attempted to visit the mother and children in South Africa, but the mother always made excuses to avoid the visit. Eventually, the maternal aunt and grandmother visited from October 1 to October 21, 2018. During their visit, they discovered that the mother was suffering from incurable stage four cancer and witnessed the dire living conditions the family was enduring after their previous home had burned down. The mother and children were forced to use a public toilet at a nearby shopping mall, and their living space lacked a kitchen and bathroom. The maternal aunt also mentioned that she visited the children again in 2019 and maintained sporadic telephonic contact with them after the mother’s passing, though the father hindered regular contact.

On June 16, 2021, Ms. [REDACTED] and the minor children moved to a place of safety. In a report dated June 28, 2021, Mrs. Fisher detailed serious concerns raised by Ms. [REDACTED] against the Father, including physical abuse of the minor children, sending them to school alone with an Uber driver, sending one child to school without underwear, and the Father frequently walking around naked at home. The Father was subsequently arrested and detained at Pollsmoor prison on alleged assault charges. Mrs. Fisher recommended that the Father only have supervised contact with the children.

Now there is a good story to this, as sad as it is and as heartbreaking to read of abuse about a woman with stage 4 cancer being abused and forced to work, allegations of sexual abuse of a mentally ill child and abuse of children. The children were removed from care and are living happily with their beloved mother's family in Indonesia.

The text from the Indonesian Consulate in Cape Town says: Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Cape Town - South Africa June 9, 2022 Through the handover with the Directorate of PWNI Kemlu, the promise has been fulfilled. In May 2021, we received news about the late Farah Munif (Indonesian citizen) whose three children were not only neglected by their father (a South African citizen of Turkish descent) but also experienced domestic violence and harassment (the eldest child with Down syndrome).

The police could not process the complaint against the father because the child was non-verbal. They were previously married in Indonesia, and the father lived in Cape Town. For 10 years of marriage, they lived in unfit conditions (a small room behind a shop with no bathroom facilities, so they had to use a public toilet at the mall). Farah passed away in 2019 after remarrying Insaf and having a baby with him. Insaf also had two children from a previous marriage.

Due to the domestic violence she experienced, Insaf had the courage to flee and take the three children of the late Farah and her own three children with her. Upon hearing this news, we visited the home of Insaf’s parents, where they were living—a small house inhabited by 14 people. After consulting with the center, the Indonesian Consulate General in Cape Town decided to move them to a Guest House starting in June 2021, regularly providing logistics and medication. In November 2021, the Cape Town Children's Court granted temporary custody to Insaf until November 2023.

Given the condition of Insaf, who also had three of her own children, Farah’s younger sibling filed a petition for custody transfer from the father and relocation to Indonesia. At the request of Farah's family and with the approval of Kemlu, the Indonesian Consulate General in Cape Town hired a lawyer to fight for this matter. This case is quite complicated, especially given the resistance from the father.

However, the High Court was able to decide within a month after the trial began in early May. Farah’s younger sibling and family settled in Cape Town in early May. The Cape Town High Court on May 30, 2022, issued the following rulings: Termination of the father's custody rights. Transfer of custody to the aunt. Relocation to Indonesia. According to the lawyer, the involvement of the Indonesian Consulate General prompted the judge to expedite the resolution of this case.

Editor’s note: Mehmet Dag responded to these allegations in the following way:

He accused Tim Flack of murdering Palestinian children (Tim has never served in the IDF, nor is even Jewish), of being a shameless dog who displaced hundreds of black people from their homes and shacks”. He also accelerated his antisemitic content, asserting that "Jews must go to hell".

Of course, he also addressed the allegations which quote from the court documents themselves, in the following manner (bold emphasis added):

"I want to talk about a file about me circulating on the Internet.

1-My late wife had cancer, and I did everything I could to stay with her until her last moment, take care of her, and even carried her to the toilet on my back...

2- I gave custody of my three little children to my wife's mother with my own consent. MY KIDS WERE SMALL I COULDN'T LOOK AFTER THEM

3-The incident that my child with Down syndrome was raped is absolutely not true, we could not prove it because the child had Down syndrome.

4-Since our house burned down in 2017, we rented in different places for a while.

5- As a free person of conscience, I have never been an immoral or indecent person.

6- No one should have any doubt that we will file all kinds of judicial and administrative cases against those who put these files on the internet.

7- As a father, I want all our people to know that I will be the best father to my children"

All statements made by Tim Flack have been affirmed by the original court documents themselves, which Tim has kindly furnished us with.

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