Sikhala To Appear In Pretoria Court For Alleged Possession Of Explosives

National Democratic Working Group leader Job Sikhala (53) and his associate, Alexander Thema (78), are expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 10 November, following their arrest in South Africa for alleged illegal possession of explosives.

The two, who are being held at Pretoria Central Police Station, were arrested early Friday morning while travelling in a Ford Fiesta along the N14 highway towards Johannesburg, near Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that officers recovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors from Sikhala’s vehicle. She said:

“The SAPS confirms that a 78-year-old and a 53-year-old man have been arrested for illegal possession of explosives.

“Police received a tip-off that there were people travelling in a Ford Fiesta in Pretoria during the early hours of Friday morning.

“When police spotted the said vehicle, they stopped it and found 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors”.

NDWG deputy national spokesperson Silenkosi Moyo said explosives allegedly discovered in Sikhala’s vehicle during his arrest in Pretoria were his.

Meanwhile, Sikhala’s arrest in South Africa comes less than a year after he was released from detention in Zimbabwe, where he had been held for allegedly inciting public violence.

Related:

South Africa Court Postpones Sikhala Explosives Case As DNA Evidence Falls Through Unauthorised Possession Of Explosives A Criminal Offence – ZRP