Health MEC’s aide charged with driving state vehicle drunk, transporting liquor
Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba’s personal messenger was granted R5,000 bail by the King William’s Town magistrate’s court on Monday.
Ayanda Matinise, a Dr WB Rubusana ANC Youth League regional task team member, was charged with breaching the national lockdown regulations, driving an unauthorised state vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, and attempted bribery of police.
The Daily Dispatch understands Matinise allegedly tried to bribe the officers with R10,000 after a high-speed chase in King William’s Town on Saturday.
The ANC socialite wore a navy jacket, black pants, an Eskimo hat and a mask that covered his whole face.
While he avoided having pictures taken of him in the dock, Matinise was instructed to take off his hat inside the courtroom.
Matinise, who is known to support ANC leaders when they appear in court, had only two family members in the gallery supporting him.
He appeared composed as he took his place in the dock before magistrate Nandipha Ndamase.
Matinise asked to be released on R3,000 bail, but Ndamase said the amount was too little for the crimes he is accused of.
Ndamase said contravening the regulations of the Disaster Management Act was a serious
Ayanda Matinise, a Dr WB Rubusana ANC Youth League regional task team member, was (also) charged with attempted bribery of police
offence and set bail at R5,000, effectively giving him his freedom after he spent the weekend in jail.
She warned that Matinise should not be arrested for the same offence again.
“The bail amount is affordable by the accused and to also give him security for him to attend court. The court is of the view that R5,000 is reasonable. You are lucky that bail is fixed to that amount. The state was fair enough at this stage and for this type of offence under the lockdown regulations. We have to assist the government.”
The case was postponed to October 13 for further investigation.
This is not Matinise’s first brush with the law. In 2016 he was arrested for contempt of court.
This was after he failed to make a court appearance in a fraud case where he was accused of forging the signature of then Bhisho legislature deputy speaker Bulelwa Tunyiswa. Matinise allegedly used the forged signature to grant himself authority to hire a Nissan Almera for seven days using R24,000 of the legislature’s funds.
Matinise allegedly used the legislature letterhead and copied a document with Tunyiswa’s name and signature to mislead the service provider into allowing him to hire the car. He was banned from ever entering the legislature precinct again. A picture bearing his face and warning anyone to report to security if they spot him in the precinct was placed in all legislature entrances. It could not immediately be established whether the fraud case is still before courts or not.
Matinise is the second ANC leader in the Eastern Cape to be arrested and accused of contravening lockdown regulations by transporting liquor.
In April, the party’s Chris Hani regional treasurer, Madoda Papiyana, was arrested and charged with drunken driving and the unlawful transportation of liquor. He later resigned from his municipal duties.