Pretoria - A licensing official and a candidate on whose behalf she allegedly wrote a learner’s licence test were granted bail in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Maria Bambo, 40, of Nina Park, and co-accused Samuel Moshobane, 25, of Winterveld, face charges of fraud, corruption and theft.
Bambo was granted bail of R3 000 while Moshobane was set free on R1 000 bail.
This was after advocate Moses Mbambala, acting for the two, suggested they be released on bail of R500.
But the court responded: “R500 bail is for the poorest of the poor. There is no way this court will grant bail of R500.”
The court heard that Bambo was a mother of three and earned about R7 000 a month.
Bail was not opposed by the State.
Bambo and Moshobane were supported by family members in the public gallery.
The Pretoria News reported earlier that Bambo, who is employed at the Akasia vehicle licensing department, allegedly charged Moshobane about R1 800 to write a learner’s licence test on his behalf.
The cost of writing the test legitimately is R108. The certificate, should the candidate pass the test, costs an additional R60.
Bambo was arrested on Friday after she was allegedly caught taking the computerised test for Moshobane. He was nabbed after arriving at the licensing department to pay the R60 for his learner’s licence.
It is alleged he confessed to paying Bambo to write the test for him. Metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said Bambo had not been suspended, but an internal investigation was under way.
Mahamba said earlier that it normally took about an hour to complete the test’s 64 questions, but an official could complete it within minutes. He said the scores were high, if not perfect, when officials took the test.
The pair will be back in court on September 6.
Outside the court, a relative of Bambo’s was so adamant about protecting her identity that he manhandled Pretoria News photographer Etienne Creux.
A police official had to restrain the young man, who violently punched Creux in the chest and tried to grab him by the throat.
After he was restrained, the threats did not stop. He told the Pretoria News team: “There are many ways to go to heaven.”
When asked if it was a death threat, he responded: “I don’t kill people, but I’m saying, there are many ways to go to heaven.”
It seemed his main concern was how his two “little” sisters would feel if they saw their mother’s picture in the newspaper.
Pretoria News editor Val Boje condemned “the disturbing trend of the harassment and violence against journalists which is a misguided attempt to deny the public its right to information”. We will never be intimidated into silence. We will remain resolute in exercising our right to seek, receive and disseminate information without fear or favour.
Pretoria News