SENZO Cele and his girlfriend Wendy Mbatha who are facing charges of assault appeared briefly in Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Picture: Mbali Khanyile
Durban — The Pinetown Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to KwaMashu social media influencer Wendy Mbatha, 40, and her boyfriend, Senzo Cele, 35, who are charged with assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm.
On Tuesday, they were released on R1 500 each after spending two nights behind bars and are expected to appear before court on April 29.
The duo allegedly attacked a pregnant woman from uMlazi, last week.
Wendy Mbatha is the sister of popular actress Nomzamo Mbatha, who was among the lead actors in one of South Africa’s most loved telenovelas, Shaka Ilembe.
The couple were arrested on Sunday after they were caught on camera attacking Snothile Gumede, 22, at The Pavilion Shopping Centre in Durban.
According to the State, a demonstration on the incident that occurred on Thursday saw the two accused acting violently towards a woman in one of the clothing stores at the mall.
Magistrate Nompumelo Ndlovu said the video, which went viral, showed the two accused “acted with a common purpose during the fight”.
“The accused, who are facing charges of assaulting Siphumelele Snothile Gumede, were seen attacking the woman, spitting at her and hitting her with clothing rails. And their actions portrayed that they acted on a common purpose,” she said.
In the video, Cele is seen punching the pregnant woman, while the security guards are seen trying to intervene.
When the couple appeared on Tuesday in court, the prosecutor, Olwethu Mdladlamba, said that the state had verified the addresses of the two accused.
“Their bail conditions prohibit them from contacting any witnesses. The case was postponed for further investigation including video footage, witness statements, and a complainant statement,” said Mdladlamba.
It was expected that the social media influencer’s fans would come in numbers and gather outside the court and protest to show their support.
But Mbatha and her boyfriend were bolstered by seven “friends”, while her fans were nowhere to be seen.
Defence advocate Vusi Khathi said he was concerned that the couple had been arrested while the investigation was still pending.
Khathi told the court that neither of his clients had previous convictions or pending cases.
He said his clients intended to plead not guilty.
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