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Mr Ndivhuwo Calvin Radamba (38), axed former MMC in the Vhembe District Municipality, is in custody on charges of intimidation.

Axed councillor in custody on intimidation charge

 

A recalled former mayoral committee member (MMC) in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), who had allegedly sent intimidating video clips of a pistol firing bullets to the executive mayor of Vhembe, Cllr Dowelani Nenguda, and Thulamela Mayor Avhashoni Tshifhango, appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

He is facing two charges of intimidation and the case was postponed to 17 June for a formal bail application. He remains in custody.

Mr Ndivhuwo Calvin Radamba (38) was one of the MMC members who were recalled some two weeks ago, after the sitting of the council on 31 May. He was arrested last Saturday by the South African Police Services’ Provincial Investigations Unit and Tracking Team at his home in Polokwane.

The video clips show a pistol automatically being loaded and then discharging bullets. A struggle song can also be heard in the background as the gunshot goes off, without showing the targets.

Radamba’s legal representative, Adv Ratshilumela Makhera, who argued in court for his client to be granted bail, said that the state had asked for seven days for them to investigate the case further and to appoint a neutral (outside) prosecutor to preside over the matter. Makhera said he was ready for the case and that he had seen some loopholes in the matter.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said they were investigating the two charges of intimidation after the two complainants had opened their cases at the Thohoyandou police station last Friday. “The police subsequently looked into the suspect’s whereabouts, after he was reported somewhere in Polokwane, and we swiftly arrested him,” he said.

When welcoming the new mayoral committee appointed, Executive Mayor Dowelani Nenguda clearly stated that the reshuffle was not a purging of former members, but that they were collectively strengthening the leadership skills.

The spokesperson for the ANC in the Vhembe region, Mr Tshifhiwa Dali, said as ANC Vhembe region they had learnt with shock and dismay of the arrest of Comrade Ndivhuwo Radamba. “As leadership collectively, we take every threat against any member of our organization very seriously, since there’s new and foreign tendencies of wanting to use the barrel of a gun to silence opposing views within the organization,” said Dali.

However, Dali added, they still believed that everyone was innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. He made a humble call to all comrades to remain calm and give law-enforcement agencies and criminal justice time to take their course.

Below is the video clip that was allegedly used to intimidate the mayors:

 

 

 

 

Date:12 June 2020

By: Silas Nduvheni

Read: 2049

 

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