DA seeking legal opinion after court strikes ANC Councillors’ bribery case off the role despite glaring evidence of wrongdoing
15 October 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has approached our lawyers to seek a legal opinion on possibly appealing a decision to strike off the roll the case against ANC Councillors who were caught red-handed in 2018 trying to bribe a DA Councillor in AbaQulusi Local Municipality.
The DA has learned with shock that the matter was struck off the roll the Vryheid Magistrates Court last week. The decision was supposedly based on technicalities and the failure of the State to provide the relevant information for the case to proceed.
In December 2018, ANC Councillors in AbaQulusi, NtombiyephahlaMdlalose and Maria Mabaso, as well as the Regional Secretary for Mzala Nxumalo Region, Zakhele Buthelezi, faced charges of bribery and corruption after the trio was caught red-handed by the Hawks for attempting to pay an R20 000 bribe to a DA Councillor, Magda Viktor. This was in an attempt to get the Councillor to support the ANC who wished to bring a vote of no confidence against an IFP Speaker in AbaQulusi.
We are deeply disappointed by the apparent incompetence that has been displayed in this case by those entrusted to guard our justice system.