AN ANC councillor appeared in the Kestell Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 4 January for allegedly attacking foreign-owned businesses.
Councillor Jappie Mokoena (47) and Bafana Masondo (39) are facing charges of malicious damage to state property, assault and theft.
The councillor was arrested in the Free State town on Sunday, 1 January, following a clash with foreign business owners.
He had allegedly demanded what he called tax and they refused.
He allegedly beat up shop owner Razu Nazim Uddin in the local police station, damaging state property, and allegedly forcibly took money from the victim.
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Speaking to Daily Sun outside court, Razu said the councillor moered him after he refused to give him R5 000.
“The attack has psychologically affected me. I nearly died. I was terrorised and humiliated in front of the police. I was beaten like a dog,” he said.
“He used to demand donations, saying someone in the community had died and we must assist with burial money. We later discovered there were no such incidents. He then started demanding R5 000 tax payments from businesses but said it should not go through the bank.”
The EFF has called on Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality speaker Paratlane Motloung to suspend Mokoena with immediate effect.
Provincial deputy secretary Amelia Tshabalala said: “We are going to write a letter to the speaker requesting he suspend the accused.
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“The Constitution protects everyone who is in the country.”
The state opposed bail, saying the suspect could intimidate state witnesses. However, the court found the matter had not been investigated and there was no hard evidence. Mokoena and Masondo were released on bail of R700 and R2 000 respectively.
The case was postponed to Wednesday, 22 February.
