About-turn for Thapelo Motaung

The self-confessed drug dealer who publicly shed the proverbial tear for his misdeeds was on Monday 21 January expected to appear before the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court on a charge of the illegal possession and sale of drugs.

Early last year Thapelo Motaung stood on anti-drugs workshop at Bela-Bela’s Forever Resorts, throwing his weight behind community efforts to fight the drugs scourge.

Now as recent as last Friday 18 January, Motaung was at the receiving end of protest action by angry members of the community, who were responding to the death of a youngster, allegedly as the result of a drugs overdose.

Motaung reportedly released his pack of vicious dogs, to prevent the protesters from accessing his property.

On Monday Bela-Bela Police Detectives Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Abel Phetla, confirmed that three suspects, among them Motaung, were expected to appear before the local magistrate’s court again on 28 January.

The men remain in custody until the formal bail application.

The threesome appeared in connection with charges of the possession and dealing with drugs.

The others are Lucas Tlou and Saki Tshabalala.

— The BEAT