Juju Valley: Attempted murder-accused Jossey Buthane out on bail, ‘excited’ about ANC rally

Former Limpopo provincial chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Jossey Buthane said he will not be missing the final ANC rally at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, on Saturday.

This follows his release on bail after he allegedly handed himself over to the police for his involvement in the political clash with EFF members at Juju Valley in Seshego.

The Seshego Magistrate’s Court on Friday granted Buthane R5000 bail, he faces charges of attempted murder, and posession of a firearm and ammunition.

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As a condition of his bail, Buthane is required to report to the Polokwane police station on a weekly basis until further notice.

Additionally, he is prohibited from contacting state witnesses and entering the Seshego area from the time of his release until the day of the election.

The case has been adjourned until 2 July for further investigation.

Buthane says he ‘escaped captivity’

While people were up in arms calling for Buthane to be kept in jail without bail, the ANC comrade shared with excitement on his social media that he would be in attendance of the last round of his party’s rally in Nasrec, the Soweto area in Johannesburg.

“I just thought that I should grab a microphone and tell you all that I am packing a bag, I am going FNB. Let’s go comrades,” said Buthane.

He further called himself a “phunyuka bamphethe” which loosely translates to “the one who escaped captivity”.

This comment was met with a lot of rage from netizens who said he was not off the hook just because he got out on bail.

Others shamed him for the lack of empathy to the family of the 9 year old who was hospitalized after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.

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Party reactions

The violent clashes in Juju Valley on Sunday, which left several people severely injured has raised concerns about political tensions ahead of the general election. Furthermore sparking debate about the role of law enforcement agencies in political conflicts and the need for peaceful campaigning.

EFF leader Julius Malema has since condemned the violence and called for an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, some EFF members accused Buthane of inciting violence as a form of asserting ANC dominance in the area.

“He must be denied bail because he has showed that he can disturb the election process. He shot a child to show that the ANC is in charge,” another EFF member @RestoreMthwakaz said on X.

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Moreover, ANC regional party spokesperson Adolph Rapetswa has defended Buthane, stating that he was merely defending himself from EFF aggression.

Rapetswa claims that the law enforcement agencies, starting with the police, chose to arrest those who were defending themselves, while ignoring the EFF’s violation of the Electoral Act by barricading the area and declaring it a no-go zone for other political parties.

“To begin with, it was EFF members who attacked ANC members as they were conducting door-to-door election campaigns in Juju Valley.

This, after the EFF had unlawfully barricaded the area, declaring it a no-go zone for any political party. This is a clear violation of the Electoral Act. Today, our law enforcement agencies, starting with the police, chose to arrest those who were merely defending themselves from the EFF’s aggression,” Rapetswa explained.

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