Special treatment for Minister Manana?
10 August 2017
Johannesburg - Higher Education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana has been charged with two counts of assault, state prosecutor Yusuf Baba told the Randburg Magistrate's court on Thursday. The court ruled that the media was not allowed to take any videos or photos of Manana inside the court building.
When his matter was called, Manana came up the stairs from the holding cells and not from a senior prosecutor's office where he was earlier kept behind locked doors. Manana was sneaked into court prior to his appearance.
It appears he entered the court through the parking entrance for staff. At the time, he was not detained in the holding cells.
When media tried to approach Manana, police chased them away. Manana was later granted R5000 bail with conditions.
The conditions included that Manana not be allowed to make any contact with any witnesses, directly or indirectly. Manana smiled when he made his way back down to the holding cells after court adjourned.
The matter was postponed to September 13 for further investigation.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the police told them Manana handed himself over at the Douglasdale police station on Thursday morning.
Manana is accused of assaulting a woman at Cubana nightclub in Johannesburg.
Following social media outrage, as well as condemnation from organisations, Manana apologised for what he called a "shameful incident", which occurred as a result of "extreme provocation".
In a video widely circulated on social media, Manana can be seen slapping a woman, who covers her head with her hands to try and stop the blow.
In a recording obtained by TimesLive, Manana admitted to the assault, but said he was sworn at and called gay. “I hit her, I slapped her,” Manana is heard saying in the recording. Meanwhile, Andile Gaeleshiwe from the organisation #NotInMyName alleged that Manana had a pending assault case against him in Ermelo. Gaeleshiwe claimed Manana had allegedly also been involved in another assault on a woman at a club.
Mjonondwane said however that according to the investigating officer there was no pending assault cases against Manana.
