K-word accused, Peter-Paul Ngwenya was aggressive towards everyone when he went to demand his money at MRC Media (MRC) offices in Sandhurst. This is what the Randburg Magistrates’ Court was told by two witnesses, who are both employees of MRC.
MRC Media is a shareholder in radio stations, Kaya FM, Gagasi FM and Heart Fm.
Ngwenya is charged with crimen injuria and contravening a protection order that his business associate, Fana Titi had obtained against him. Titi is understood to have obtained the order following a threatening message that Ngwenya had sent to him (Titi) and his business partner Aqueel Patel.
In that message, it is alleged that Ngwenya referred to Free State-born Titi as a Qwa-Qwa k**r and bantustan boss.
Ngwenya also allegedly referred to Patel, who follows the Muslim religion, as a swine. In the same message, the accused is alleged to have threatened Patel by saying he will bleed.
Money is at the centre of the dispute between Titi and Ngwenya. It is understood that there is a multi-million rand deal that went sour between the two parties.
Ngwenya is alleged to have breached a protection order that prohibited him from making any threats directed towards Titi and Patel. On the day that he visited the MRC Media offices, Ngwenya is alleged to have threatened to ‘kill these dogs’ if he didn’t receive his dividend money owed to his company, Columbia.
Josiah Ndlovu, who is the finance manager at MRC, told the court that Ngwenya’s conduct on the said day left him in tears. Ndlovu told the court that the accused was very aggressive and spoke to him in a very demeaning way.
Ndlovu told the court that Ngwenya said he will not leave their premises until his money (dividends) is paid.
The finance manager told the court that he could not process Ngwenya’s payment as he was still waiting for instructions from his director, Patel, as there was a dispute about Ngwenya’s money.
Previously, Titi testified in court that the reason Ngwenya’s dividends were not paid is that he (Ngwenya) wanted the dividends to be paid into his personal account. Titi said dividends for Columbia had always been paid into Ngwenya’s personal account but they had received legal advice that it should not be like that and dividends had to be paid into Columbia’s account as Ngwenya is not a sole shareholder in the company.
Another witness, Eucharist Mabena, also told the court that the accused was very aggressive.
Mabena is also an employee at MRC and close to the accused. She told the court that she had never seen Ngwenya behave in the way that he did on the day. She said the accused was aggressive and at some point pushed her while she was trying to calm him down.
The state closed its case and the matter was remanded to 24 May for the defence to present its case.
Related article: Black businessman in the dock for using k-word on another black person
Share your thoughts on this story by emailing belindap@caxton.co.za
