NELSPRUIT – A case which a defence attorney claimed was a political matter, which should have been solved at a political level, appeared in court on Wednesday. This was said by the defence attorney in the trial, Mr Lucky Mngomezulu.
He was defending eleven people who appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Wednesday on charges of public violence. The case was postponed for trial, to February 12.
Ms Celiwe Nkambule, Mr Promise Mashaba, Ms Marce Ndlala, Mr Saina Milazi, Mr Oscar Mndawe, Mr Vincent Mdluli,Mr Khulisizwe Mashaba, Mr David Ntshanda, Ms Ntombifuthi Khoza, Ms Phindile Sekatane and Mr Innocent Nkosi appeared in court on charges of public violence due to service delivery protests in Zwelisha.
One of the accused Mr Promise Mashaba, said they were protesting against corruption. He also claims that they were previously members of the ANC Youth League but were now denied permission to join the ANC party after the league had been disbanded.
Cllr Elizabeth Maziya said three of the men attacked her when she was attending a meeting at the local clinic in Zwelisha.” They came into the clinic and said there were people who they felt didn’t belong there. I then stood up and said to my colleagues that we should postpone the meeting for another date, and that was when they began to assault me physically,” she claimed.
According to one of the women’s league protesters, this wasn’t the first attack on the councillor. Her home had apparently been vandalised and it was not clear what the motive was. “They are criminals against the ANC,” said Maziya
Mashaba said Maziya had apparently never been contested for her position when she was appointed, neither did she have the necessary education level to perform the job. He said the community hated her because of her behaviour. “She is using the police just to silence us.”
He said they were protesting regarding the corruption surrounding RDP houses and toilets granted to relatives or close friends of the councillor. He said Maziya had him and his fellow accused arrested last week.
