Taxi driver up for shooting

A 36-year-old taxi driver accused of the attempted murder of an Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) leader appeared briefly in the Brits Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The case against Simphiwe Silwane was postponed to February 21, for his lawyer to be present in court.

He is accused of shooting the branch chairperson at Western Platinum, Malibongwe Mdazo, on July 22, in Mooinooi near Brits in an attempt to kill him.

He was arrested in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

In an affidavit read in court, Silwane said at the time of the shooting he was watching a soccer match at a sports ground in Mooinooi, when he heard several gun shots and together with other spectators and soccer players took cover.

He said he was only linked to the incident because people claimed he knew who fired the shots. He said he is a taxi driver in the Eastern Cape and if he was kept in custody he feared he would lose his job.

He is charged alongside Nkosinathi Mantashe, 37, Samkelo Mkhutshwa, 38, Lungisa Madiba, 35, Juke Mjakane, 34, Sthembe Jakane, 41, Xolile Madikane, 39, Mthethelethu Mtshukuka, 34, and Zamelekhaya Mboxela, 35.

Madiba and five others were arrested on February 10. Three were alleged to be masterminds behind a spate of killings, while three are alleged to be hitmen.

They allegedly conspired to kill Amcu leaders in Marikana. Some of the accused are former Amcu members who reportedly resigned from the union last year.

Mantashe was granted R10 000 bail and Mkhutshwa was released on R2 500 bail earlier. – ANA