Daily Sun (August 5 2015) - THE young men don’t deny that they stole the battery.
Hotstix doesn’t deny that he gave them a hiding instead of going to the cops.
BUT BEATING THEM HIMSELF IS A DECISION HE MAY STILL REGRET.
Even Stephina Mamoepa, the mother of Anthony Mamoepa (25), said Anthony and his friend, Thando Mbonambi (17) don’t steal big things. They accuse world famous musician, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse of holding the young men hostage for six hours and beating them with a hammer and a gun.
The battery was stolen at about 7pm on Saturday night from Hotstix’s house in Pimville Zone 6, Soweto. Stephina claimed Hotstix came to her house at about 9pm looking for her son. “He said he wanted Anthony to see what he had done to Thando who was at his house,” she said. “He told me he would search for my son.”
She said she went to bed and when her husband arrived home from work in the morning they went to Hotstix’s house. “Hotstix told us he beat the boys with a sjambok before releasing them,” said Stephina. Thando told Daily Sun Hotstix often gave them jobs. On Saturday they went to ask him for their money after they sold him paint. “He gave us R50 and promised he would pay us the rest later,” said Thando. “I didn’t know how much the rest would be.”
He said while they were looking for a buyer for the battery, Hotstix and three other people arrived in a VW Polo. Anthony ran away but Thando was thrown into the boot of the car and taken to Hotstix’s house. “Hotstix beat me with a hammer in the chest while his neighbour was hitting me on the head with a gun,” claimed Thando.
Later that night Anthony was also brought to the house and beaten with a sjambok. After being released, they went to a friend’s house in Zone 1. They got home at about 11am on Sunday. Cebisile Mbonambi, Thando’s aunt, said she went with Stephina to Hotstix’s house. He told them the young men weren’t there.
In the afternoon the young men went to Lilian Ngoyi Clinic but were told to come back on Monday. They said they would open a case at the Kliptown cop shop after being checked for injuries. Late yesterday police said the men had opened a case of assault GBH at Kliptown Police Station.
Hotstix said he took the paint from the boys and paid them because he knew they were desperate for money. He admitted Thando was put in the boot of the car because he resisted going with them. They found Anthony at about 10pm on Saturday and took him to the house, where they beat the two young men with a sjambok before letting them go. “Thando pleaded with me not to take him to the cops because he had many cases and he feared being arrested,” said Hotstix. “He said I should rather beat him.”
He said perhaps he should have taken them to the cops. “But the family and anybody around here would not be happy if I made that decision,” he said. “I feel betrayed. It is not true that I used a hammer or a gun to beat him. I can’t do that. They are my children. I think because they knew where I put the battery, it was their intention to take it and resell it.”
Late last night provincial police spokesman Kay Makhubele said Hotstix had handed himself in. He was accompanied by his lawyer. Hotstix will appear in court soon in connection with assault and kidnapping, Makhubele said.
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