Traditional healer and social media personality Makgotso Mofokeng, affectionately known as Gogo Maweni, will spend the whole week in jail.
This comes after the Protea magistrate’s court postponed her assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm case to next week.
On Monday, Maweni made her first court appearance after she was arrested on Sunday afternoon at her Fairland, Johannesburg, residence for a case opened against her in December 2019 at Moroka police station.
It is alleged that Maweni (38) assaulted a relative of her ex-boyfriend.
During court proceedings, Maweni’s lawyer, Marcia Makuse, said her client opposed the media application to take pictures and videos of her.
Makuse told magistrate Rozelle Khiye that Maweni has four children aged 12, eight, seven, and six, and she is currently pregnant with twins.
Makuse said the broadcasting of the case and taking of pictures and videos of Maweni will have a negative impact on Maweni’s children and will make her unwell as she is pregnant with twins.
She added that the broadcasting of the case will have a negative impact on Maweni’s traditional healing business.
Four murder cases
Despite this opposition by Maweni’s lawyer, Khiye granted the media permission to broadcast the court proceedings and take pictures and videos of Maweni during the case.
Makuse said Maweni has no pending cases and no previous convictions. She said Maweni intends to bring a formal bail application.
State prosecutor Tsakane Tsautse said the state will oppose the bail application.
Tsautse said the information from the investigating officer in the case is that Maweni has a previous conviction of assault, which she received in 2017, and she was handed a suspended sentence.
Makuse said she is not aware of such a conviction; suffice to say Maweni told her she was arrested for assault in 2017, and the case was withdrawn from court after she and the complainant had a mediation session.
Tsautse was not in possession of the investigating officer’s statement in court showing that Maweni has a previous conviction.
Khiye postponed the matter to next Monday for the state to verify whether Maweni has a previous conviction or not and for Maweni to bring a formal bail application.
Maweni remains in police custody.
Meanwhile, Maweni is currently under investigation for four murder cases registered with the Eldorado police station (2020), Mondeor police station (2021), Orange Farm police station (2024), and Bekkersdal police station (2024).
