Malema ally sought

Published Sep 30, 2014

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Limpopo - As EFF members staged an all-night vigil in Polokwane on Monday night ahead of their commander-in-chief’s court date on corruption charges, police went looking for his trusted lieutenant, Jossey Buthane.

Buthane, the EFF’s Limpopo co-ordinator and chief whip in the provincial legislature, faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after he allegedly beat up fellow party member Rudzani Ntwampe at an EFF meeting in Mahwelereng township outside Mokopane at the weekend.

A source who saw Ntwampe in hospital on Sunday night said he had a swollen face and his nose was still bleeding.

Buthane said he knew Ntwampe had been “moered” (thumped), but denied assaulting him.

He did admit to chasing him out of the meeting, saying Ntwampe was not eligible to be there because he came from another region.

“When I came out of the meeting, I found that he was moered and bleeding,” Buthane said. “I ran to him, wanting to assist. He said the people who assaulted him came out of a (minibus) and he doesn’t know them.”

Buthane claimed his offer of a lift to hospital had been turned down.

“Today, I was surprised by a call from the police. That guy knows I didn’t assault him,” said Buthane.

Ntwampe could not be reached on either of his two phones.

Police sources said Buthane had promised to hand himself over on Wednesday.

Provincial police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed that a case had been opened against Buthane.

He referred further enquiries to his colleague Colonel Ronel Otto, who could not be reached for comment.

Malema’s trial was expected to finally begin in the Polokwane Circuit Court of the North Gauteng High Court on Tuesday morning.

He will be in the dock with the chief executive of On-Point Engineering, Lesiba Gwangwa, and company chief operating officer, Kagisho Dichabe.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela criticised On-Point in 2012 for allegedly misrepresenting facts in order to win a R52 million contract from the Limpopo government in 2009.

Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust owned shares in On-Point.

Last month, when the Gauteng Division of the High Court, sitting in Pretoria, extended his provisional sequestration order to December, Malema told journalists that the State had no case against him on corruption.

“Remember that we are the ones who have been insisting that the case must be heard by a judge and they’ve been playing monkey tricks, delaying tactics because they’ve got no case against us.”

In March, Selby Manthata, his wife Hellen and brother Makgetsi were discharged in the Mokopane District Magistrate’s Court.

The three were initially arrested and charged alongside Malema but were later tried in a separate court.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said then: “It is not an acquittal or a dismissal of charges. It was a discharge of charges. Discharge means that they cannot be recharged.

“If it was a withdrawal, dismissal or acquittal of charges, they could be charged again.”

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The Star

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