A MAN accused of smashing windows at the Vryburg Magistrate’s Court in North West will no longer plead guilty to a charge of malicious damage to property, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Henry Mamothame said Sibongile Dube, 35, told the court he would no longer plead guilty and requested to be represented by an attorney from the Legal Aid attorney.
The case against him was postponed to January.
“In his last appearance in court on Monday, Dube opted to represent himself, then told the court that he intends to plead guilty to his offence. He claimed his actions were driven by anger, following a 3-month jail sentence he served for failing to appear in court on a separate offence in June 2020. He also attributed his anger to a 2-year sentence he received in 2009 on an assault case. He alleges he had a valid reason for not attending court but was nonetheless sentenced,” Mamothame said.
Dube was arrested on January 9 after a security officer on duty heard windows being smashed, and upon investigation the officer saw Dube running away from the scene.
He chase and caught Dube, the police were called and he was arrested and officially charged.
In a similar case in Gauteng, Paul Makaula, 36, is expected to appeared in the Hillbrow Magistrate's Court on March 25 for allegedly smashing windows at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.
Makaula is facing a charge of malicious damage to property. He was reportedly on parole when he allegedly smashed the windows at the constitutional court using a hammer.
IOL