Molosi accused stays in jail for now

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Molosi-accused Mandla Tyololo is set to spend another two weeks in custody after his case was postponed yet again in the Knysna Magistrate's Court last week, when community members once again marched in their numbers to lobby against bail being granted.

Tyololo, who was the Knysna Taxi Forum (KTF) secretary at the time of his arrest on 3 August in connection with the murder of ANC ward councillor Victor Molosi, was later charged with conspiracy to commit murder. (He has since been relegated to that of ordinary KTF member during an AGM held on 19 September.)

During his brief appearance on Tuesday 18 September, his lawyer Carl Jeppe read his statement which was accompanied by a 10-page affidavit.

For the schedule 5 official bail application, Tyololo said he believes the state does not have a case against him and that they have known about the allegations since last year and failed to do anything about it.

'Previous hit on his life'
There were allegations directly after the councillor's killing that a hitman was hired to kill Molosi last year. His mother-in-law Vinolia Gunguble confirmed this at his funeral when she said the police failed them.

She said this was not the first attempt on his life and that February last year, someone was hired to kill him. He walked into Molosi's living room and instead confessed. She said police never followed up.

He said he was never interviewed about the rumours and that the police failed to act upon them.

Detailing his reasons for bail, he said he has children to support and that his taxi business stands to suffer as he will not be able to pay the monthly instalments, which could affect his credit record in the future.

He also said he is a serving member of the ruling party – as deputy chairperson of the ANC in Ward 7 – and that being kept in custody might cost him his titles and tarnish his reputation.

Tyololo, who was found guilty of assault in 2008, said he could afford R2 000 bail and would comply with the conditions of the bail even if that meant relocating to another town, the address of which is in his affidavit. He was not willing to have it read in court.

State prosecutor Vandana Premchard applied for a postponement to give the state time to go through his lengthy affidavit, which was only made available that morning, and magistrate Flippie Hendricks postponed Tyololo's bail application to 3 October.

Knysna activists marched to the magistrate's court chanting songs of liberation to oppose bail to Mandla Tyololo who is facing charges of conspiracy to commit the murder of ANC councillor Victor Molosi.