A former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader, who allegedly sjambokked his girlfriend to death, is still on the run after he violated his bail conditions by allegedly beating up the girlfriend’s sister.
Murder accused Patrick Wisani is likely to face contempt of court charges for evading arrest and for not abiding by his bail conditions.
He failed to appear in the High Court sitting in Palm Ridge last Tuesday when the State planned to present an urgent application to have his bail revoked for assaulting a witness.
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng then issued a warrant for Wisani’s arrest.
Last weekend Wisani allegedly intimidated and dragged Nosipho Mandleleni’s twin sister Siphokazi Mandleleni on the ground when he saw her exiting a Joburg club.
Wisani was the chairperson of the ANCYL’s Joburg inner city branch when Nosipho, his girlfriend, was murdered in September last year.
He was arrested after he allegedly brutally beat Nosipho to death with a sjambok and broomstick, reportedly because she was not at home when he returned from the ANCYL national congress in Midrand.
Siphokazi, who was living with her sister, found her body.
Wisani’s bail conditions stipulated that he was not allowed to make contact with any of the witnesses, including Siphokazi.
Police on Tuesday confirmed that Wisani had still not been arrested or handed himself over, a week after the warrant was issued.
“He’s evading arrest. We went to his residential address, the one that was supplied to the court, but they couldn’t find him there.
“If he goes to the Khutsong police station he will be arrested, but they said he was not reporting anymore,” said Constable Thabo Malatji.
Wisani’s bail conditions stated that he was to report to the Khutsong police station on specific days each week.
Wisani’s lawyer, Mpho Selepe, said his client was aware of the warrant and had been advised to hand himself over.
“He’s not evading arrest. We’re just investigating the allegations that he assaulted someone. We told him to hand himself over.”
Selepe said he was unaware that Wisani had not been living at the address supplied to the court or reporting to the police station.
He also denied he had confirmed that he and Wisani would attend the urgent application last week, saying he had needed to get instructions from him before confirming their attendance.
“Prosecutor Faghre Mohamed told us he’s going to court to apply for this. I told him I don’t have instructions to go to court to oppose or not. (Wisani) must say I’m paying you to oppose this. Why would I confirm a date and not pitch up?”
The trial is set for August 1.
Source : iol
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