Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Nyalungu was remanded in custody until October 30 for judgment on his bail application.
Nyalungu appeared in the Mkhuhlu Magistrate’s Court today, October 18, after the Hawks had arrested him for being in possession of explosives and ammunition at his workshop in Mkhuhlu on October 15.
Nyalungu was not asked to plead to these charges. However, the State opposed his bail application based on the allegations that he had similar cases pending, and that he had allegedly committed the same crime he was released on bail for.
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The State also argued that he would commit the same crime if he is released.
His defence, however, told the court that Nyalungu must be released as he is not a threat to the community. He claimed Nyalungu also has a chronic disease he is taking medication for. Lastly, there are a lot of employees who are depending on him for their salaries.
He further told the court that when Nyalungu was arrested in 2012, the police beat him up, damaging his left eye. He claims his vision is blurred and this makes reading difficult.
He said Nyalungu had never skipped any court appearance in any of his previous cases and is therefore not a flight risk.
Nyalungu had allegedly been found in possession of two sticks of dynamite, two detonators, two chords and three rounds of 458 ammunition. The explosives are said to be famous for their use in ATM bombings and cash-in-transit heists.
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The State mentioned during his appearance that it still needed to establish if Nyalungu had previous convictions before he could apply for bail.
He was flanked by his wife, relatives and friends during his appearance.
The paper spoke to Nyalungu’s wife, Dudu, who insisted her husband’s latest arrest was a setup. “If you are a cop, you can’t claim to have found anything illegal at somebody’s place without that person physically being present,” she said.
Joseph recently spent nearly half a year in a Limpopo prison after being arrested by the Hoedspruit police following a high-speed car chase.
He was charged with money laundering and was granted R10 000 by the Naphuno Magistrate’s Court in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen.
Over the years, Joseph has been in and out of jail for cases such as rhino poaching, murder, racketeering, theft, tax evasion, money laundering, corruption and others.
Millions of rands believed to be the proceeds of crime were confiscated from Joseph’s various residences more than 10 years ago.
After his arrests, a number of police officers involved in his cases allegedly relocated from the Lowveld out of fear.
Joseph is loved by the community in Mhkuhlu. Many see him as a Good Samaritan who has assisted many poor souls in the past.
