Controversial ex-councillor out on bail
After spending 165 days behind bars, former City of Mbombela Local Municipality councillor, Mandla Mamba was granted bail this week.
The High Court sitting at the Nelspruit Magistrate’ Court granted him R5 000 bail on Wednesday. Mamba has been in custody since June 21 after he was charged with nine cases of fraud and one of attempted murder.
His next court appearance will be in the Nelspruit Regional Court on November 28. He had been appearing in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court for his bail application since his arrest in June, but to no avail.
Frustrated by this Magistrate’s Court’s failure to grant him bail, his legal representative Maxhosa Labe then drafted a notice of appeal against its (Barberton Magistrate’s Court) judgement to the High Court in Mbombela.
The application was expected to be heard at the High Court sitting in Mbombela last Friday, but was postponed to Wednesday.
During his appeal supporters of Mamba, who were transported all the way from Barberton, congregated in their numbers, singing struggle songs.
They have been supporting him since the case started, demanding that he should be granted bail because the charges he was facing were baseless.
