A well-known politician is allegedly behind new Sizok’thola host Xolani Maphanga’s attempted murder charges.
This is according to a Moja Love statement this week after the TV host handed himself over to the Soshanguve Police Station on Tuesday, 9 April, on allegations that he assaulted an elderly woman during the filming of one of the show’s episodes.
According to the channel’s spokesperson, Nonzwakazi Cekete, Maphanga was arrested on a case of mistaken identity.“To cooperate with law enforcement, the presenter handed himself to the Soshanguve Police Station yesterday along with a member of the security detail,” read the statement.Cekete said Maphanga and crew were remanded in custody until a bail hearing.
“Leading to yesterday’s events, the police from Tshwane had met with the executive of the channel and said they wanted to charge him and the bodyguards with assault GBH [to cause grievous bodily harm] but upon handing themselves in, the charges had changed to attempted murder and trespassing.”Moja Love also revealed that in the same meeting, the police indicated that they were getting pressure from a top politician regarding the case that was opened by a female drug lord, alongside her brothers, who were accusing Maphanga and the bodyguards of assault.
“It was within this jurisdiction, that the crew found a corrupt cop collecting payola from the drug lord. Moja Love has footage to this effect and will be reporting this to the Independent Police Investigate Directorate (IPID).”
When the channel probed Maphanga about the assault allegations, he maintained that he was innocent. However, Moja Love said that it will allow the course of justice to take its place.
“The channel does not advocate for any ill-discipline and should it discover that there were indeed any unlawful incidents on set, it will take the necessary steps.
“The channel will cooperate fully with law enforcement.”
Last week, Moja Love released another statement accusing former Sizok’thola presenter Xolani Khumalo of shooting a show under the guise of the channel’s anti-drug show.
As a result, the channel sent Khumalo a cease and desist letter and said it would do “everything in power, within the law, to stop him”.
Khumalo was fired as the Sizok’thola host last year. His dismissal relates to the death of a drug dealer named Robert “Kicks” Varrie who had been the subject of a drug bust at his Katlehong home on 19 July, which was attended by the Sizok’thola crew.