Limpopo chief in court on assault charge
The victim told CV that he approached the office of the provincial police commissioner after the traditional leader was not arrested after he opened a case against him.
LIMPOPO – Traditional leader Thovhele Tshedza Netshimbupfe found himself on the wrong side of the law as he recently appeared in the Vuwani Magistrate’s Court on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after being accused of assaulting his younger sister’s boyfriend.
Netshimbupfe, who is an advocate by profession, was inaugurated by the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu in July 2022, as the new traditional leader for the Tshimbupfe communities.
According to information received, on March 18 last year, Netshimbupfe found the victim, who was a visitor to the palace that day, with one of his sisters and his mother. He reportedly started to manhandle the man and eventually assaulted him.
The victim, whose name is withheld for the time being, told CV that after the traditional leader was not arrested after he brought a charge immediately after the incident, he decided to follow up.
“I found that some detectives from the local police station, were not willing to arrest the senior traditional leader and I decided to approach the office of the provincial police commissioner who referred the matter to the police in Vhembe.”
In commenting on the matter, Netshimbupfe told CV that the young man had a child with one his sisters and that he could not comment any further since the matter was sub judicae.
Vhembe police spokesperson, W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed that the Vuwani police are investigating the case and that the trial date has been set for May 21.
