MBOMBELA – Mere days before the local government elections, two politicians were arrested in the Tonga area last week.
A female candidate for the DA in Nkomazi was apprehended for murder on Friday, while the provincial leader of the EFF, Mr Collen Sedibe, was taken into custody for public violence on Thursday.
Ms Sanky Mndawe is a ward candidate in Nkomazi in tomorrow’s elections. She was fingered by police as the alleged mastermind behind a mob killing in KaMhluswa.
According to Mpumalanga police spokesman, Brig Leonard Hlathi, the body of the 34-year-old victim, Mr Justice Khoza, was found early on Friday morning. He was allegedly killed by a mob.
Police acted on a tip-off from the community which led to the arrest of nine people on Friday, including Mndawe, and another two on Saturday.
DA party leader Mr James Masango confirmed to Lowvelder that Mndawe was a candidate for the party.
Reports have stated that the victim was mentally ill. The accused appeared in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Mndawe along with Messrs Nunu Hlatswayo (50) Bonisiwe Shongwe (25) and Zelisina Khoza (41), were released on free bail. Messrs Charlie Mbuhgela (43), Phesane Vuma (65), Albert Manyike (34), Frans Mahlalela (42), Anosho Mabuza (24) and Alex Mduduzi (24) were granted bail of R1 000 each.
Mr Justice Fernando (32) was denied bail. Police confirmed they are all accused of murder.
They are due back in court on September 2. On September 6, 10 people are due to appear in the same court for public violence. Sedibe was among 12 people originally arrested after staging an illegal march to Umbhaba Bananas near Hectorspruit on Thursday.
Reports had the marchers numbering approximately 300. They comprised former workers dismissed nine months ago and EFF members. The marchers were objecting against the dismissal of workers from the farms. Sedibe said all those apprehended were party members. They approached the farm’s gate and demanded to see the owner.
The owner sent an employee to meet them at the gate. The marchers refused to hand the man the memorandum of their demands. They threatened to enter the premises and became violent, according to Hlathi.
Sedibe said the former labourers were angry, but he denied that they were violent.
“There was no property damaged, there was no violence there,” he said. Sedibe said they had applied for the march to be legal. Hlathi said an application for the march had been made, but that it was not approved.
At this point the police intervened and made the arrests. The accused spent the night in jail. On Friday morning the charges against two were dropped. The other 10, including Sedibe, were released on free bail.
Umbhaba Estates could not be reached for comment.
DA candidate arrested for murder in Mpumalanga, July 30 11:05
MBOMBELA – A DA candidate in Nkomazi, was arrested for murder on Friday.
According to Mpumalanga police spokesman Brig Leonard Hlathi, she was one of nine suspects arrested following the alleged mob killing of a 34-year old man in Kamhluswa township.
The arrests came after a tipoff from the community. The victim’s body was found in the early hours of Friday morning.
DA provincial leader Mr James Masango confirmed that the woman is a candidate for the party in Wednesday’s local government election.
She and her co-accused cannot be named until they have appeared in court. They are to appear in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The provincial leader of the EFF was arrested for public violence on Thursday.
Mr Collen Sedibe was one of 12 people arrested for public violence during an unprotected march to Umbhaba Banana Estate near Komatipoort.
It is unclear how many of the accused are members of the party.
Hlathi said the charges against two were later dropped.
The other 10, including Sedibe were released on free bail on Friday.
They are due to reappear in Tonga on September 6.
