Woman beater Manana guilty
ASSAULT ACCOMPLICE ARRESTED AT COURT Man was there to support the politician and a victim pointed him out to police.
Former deputy minister of higher education and convicted woman beater Mduduzi Manana said outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday he had engaged the services of a therapist as he again apologised for his actions.
“This kind of act ends with me, I had to man up and that’s what a leader does. I made an error and took responsibility,” Manana said while addressing students outside the court who were there to support him.
Earlier in the day, Manana, 34, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
In a bizarre twist, a man who arrived at court to support Manana was identified by one of the victims as having also been involved in the assault and police arrested him.
Gauteng police spokesperson Kay Makhubela confirmed that a 35-year-old man was arrested “after one of the victims, who was assaulted, identified him as being involved in assaulting her”.
“He will face the same charges as the [former] deputy minister is facing. We are going to investigate and he will appear in court within 48 hours.”
Pictures of Mandisa Duma’s injured face and a video of her being assaulted by Manana at Cubana in Fourways, Johannesburg, went viral on social media last month. Her friends Thina Mopipa and Noluthando Mahlaba were also assaulted by Manana on August 6.
Earlier, Magistrate Ramsamy Reddy asked Manana whether he had heard the charges against him.
“Yes, I plead guilty,” Manana told the court.
In an affidavit read out by defence attorney Michael Motsoeneng Bill, the politician said the three women joined him and his friends at their table at the nightspot and a debate began. One of the women started taking a video of him.
Manana said that Mahlaba uttered the words “who do you think you are s’tabane (derogatory term for a homosexual)”, which prompted him to ask who had invited them to come over. At that point he slapped her and pulled her to the ground. A fight broke out and he also assaulted Duma and Mopipa.
Reddy said the court was satisfied and found Manana guilty. State prosecutor Anne-Marie Smith requested a postponement for witness impact reports and a correctional supervision report to be used during sentencing proceedings.
Manana is out on R5 000 bail. The case was postponed to November 7 for pre-sentencing proceedings. –