Court issues arrest warrant for Babes
SINGING sensation Bongekile “Babes Wodumo” Simelane is in hot water again after Durban Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant of arrest after she failed to appear on assault charges.
Simelane, her sister-cum-manager Nondumiso, and fellow musician Thobeka “Tipcee” Ndaba were expected to appear in court yesterday, but did not appear in Magistrate Jackie Jonck’s courtroom A.
The magistrate issued a warrant for the trio’s arrest.
They are accused of assaulting a Durban woman at an Umbilo guesthouse in March. The incident happened just a day after Wodumo had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo.
Wodumo was expected to perform at rapper AKA’S Megacy Over Everything concert at the Pavilion Shopping Centre, Westville, last night.
Natasha Kara, the National Prosecution Authority spokesperson, said it was up to the police to act after the warrant had been issued.
“The prosecutor’s application was authorised,” she said.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker was tight-lipped on the matter.
“We cannot comment on warrants of arrests issued as it may result in wanted persons absconding. We will only publicise wanted persons with regards to whom warrants of arrests have been issued if the person has absconded and we have exhausted all attempts to arrest them.”
AKA’S road manager Tshiamo Letshwene, when asked if the Megacy Over Everything show organisers had made alternative arrangements in the wake of Wodumo’s imminent arrest, said: “I don’t represent Babes. Please call her management.”
She had been scheduled to perform last night at 8pm. She had tweeted: “See you tonight with the team @ Wena_wodumo_entertainment”.
Her sister cut the call when asked for comment, but she told Timeslive they had missed the court appearance because they had been at a gig on Thursday night and apparently had car problems yesterday.
Wodumo’s father, Reverend Welcome Simelane, said: “This thing of Babes is in the courts, I do not want to get into it.”
When asked how he felt as the court had issued a warrant of arrest which could see the police pounce on the Simelane sisters at any time, the father said he would bail them out.
Meanwhile, inside the courtroom, there was no legal representative for either the Simelane sisters or Ndaba.
A court official had called for the three women three times in the corridors outside. When there was no response, the official informed the court which later ruled that an arrest warrant be issued.
“They were personally served with summonses. Their names were called out three times. An arrest warrant has been issued for all the accused,” said Jonck.
The victim is believed to be a friend of the group.