Moja Love presenter Xolani Maphanga is set to appear at the Soshanguve magistrate’s court on April 15 for bail application.
Maphanga, who is the new presenter on the popular anti-drugs show Sizok’thola, and show director Bongani Mkhabeka, are facing three counts of attempted murder and trespassing.
Weekend in jail
The pair will spend the weekend behind bars following their arrest this week. They were arrested on allegations that they assaulted an older woman and her family. The assault allegedly happened during filming of the show.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana said the pair will appear in court for bail application on Monday.
Following Maphanga’s arrest, his employers released a statement standing by him. They accused “a top politician” of putting pressure on the police to act on Maphanga’s arrest.
Moja Love denies accusations, stands by the two
The channel’s spokesperson, Nonzwakazi Cekete, said Maphanga told them that it was a case of mistaken identity. He said did not assault anyone during filming.
“To cooperate with law enforcement, the presenter handed himself to the Soshanguve police station yesterday. Along with a member of the security detail,” Cekete said.
Maphanga and his team were remanded in custody until a bail hearing.
“Leading to yesterday’s events, the police from Tshwane had met with the executive of the channel. They said they wanted to charge him and the bodyguards with assault [and] GBH.
But upon handing themselves in, the charges had changed to attempted murder and trespassing,” the channel said.
Unnamed top politician behind the arrests
The channel also revealed that in the same meeting, police said they were under pressure from a top politician. This regarding the case that was opened by a female drug lord, alongside her brothers. They were accusing Maphanga and the bodyguards of assault.
The channel accused the politician of interfering with the work of the police.
“It was within this jurisdiction, that the crew found a corrupt cop collecting payola from the drug lord. Moja Love has footage to this effect. And will be reporting this to the Independent Police Investigate Directorate (IPID),” Cekete added.
She added that management heard Maphanga’s side of the story and respects it. But it will allow the course of justice to take its place.
