Manana gets bail for attacking a woman
Deputy minister faced similar charges before
TV personality Andile Gaelesiwe led a silent protest as Deputy Higher Education Minister Mduduzi Manana was given R5 000 bail at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Manana made a brief appearance on two counts of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, following his Sunday morning attack on Mandisa Duma at a nightclub in Fourways.
Gaelesiwe said she and four others came to court for the Manana case to call on the deputy minister to do the “honourable thing” and resign.
“The fact that he holds such an [high] office in the land that looks at education... for me if these things are being done by such high-profile individuals a wrong message is being sent to ordinary people,” she said.
When Manana arrived, he was snuck in through the back door of the court building yesterday, evading the media, and slipped into the prosecutor’s office where he waited for his turn to appear before magistrate Lizelle Davids.
He had handed himself over to police yesterday morning, four days after the assault charges were laid against him.
Manana, 33, was granted bail and ordered to reappear in court on September 13.
Davids ordered Manana not to contact any of the witnesses directly or indirectly as some of the strict bail conditions.
Duma declined to comment after Manana was given bail.
“I have to allow the law to play its part. Let’s wait and see what happens between now and the 13th of September,” Duma said yesterday.
Manana faced similar charges in Ermelo, his Mpumalanga hometown, where he allegedly slapped three women, and vandalised a car following an argument at the Nesto Lounge and Shisanyama.
The police ministry confirmed the incident earlier this week and said charges were later dropped as Manana had also laid counter charges.
NPA spokeswoman Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane said they weren’t aware of any pending cases against Manana.