Limpopo mayor facing assault charge after tavern brawl

A Limpopo municipal mayor is in trouble with the law after he allegedly assaulted a patron at a liquor outlet at a tavern during a drinking binge. 

Godfrey Mawela, the 39-year-old ANC mayor of Musina local municipality in the Vhembe region, had allegedly beaten a 25-year-old man with his fists and a beer bottle following an argument at a tavern in Muswodi Village, outside Musina on Saturday evening.

According to a witness, Mawela was drinking with friends when the 25-year-old man allegedly started hurling insults at him. 

“The victim walked into the tavern and went straight to the position of the mayor and his friends. He told the mayor that he was useless because he was failing to deploy local youth into the municipality,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.  

“The victim told the mayor that instead of building the community, he was sitting at a tavern shining to them with expensive booze. He further said the mayor was a small boy and he could do nothing to him.”

This apparently infuriated Mawela to the point that he laid into the man with his fists.

When the victim started fighting back, the mayor apparently roped in an empty beer bottle and smashed it on him.

The man was rushed to a local healthcare facility for treatment.

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Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo told The Citizen: “We can confirm that the police in Muswodi Village in Vhembe have arrested a 39-year-old man for assault GBH (assault with intent to cause grievously bodily harm) after he allegedly assaulted a 25-year-old victim at a liquor outlet. The victim was taken to hospital for medical treatment,” said Mojapelo. 

Mojapelo said the suspect had appeared before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

“He was, however, granted a bail of R3,000. His case was postponed for further investigations until 29 April 2022.”

Mawela could not be reached for comment, and attempts to solicit comment from the ANC regional chairperson Tshitereke Matibe were also unsuccessful

A member of the provincial executive committee (PEC), who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not officially tasked to speak to the media on the matter, said the alleged assault in Musina would form part of crucial matters to be discussed at the next PEC meeting.

news@citizen.co.za