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Aspiring MP remanded in custody for shooting

20/08/2013 02:20:00 BY ANDILE NSIBANDE

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Stephen Mavimbela who was allegedly shot by aspiring MP Charles Rose at Glen Vuma on Saturday pictured at Hlatikhulu Government Hospital.

HLATIKHULU – Aspiring Sandleni MP Charles Rose (61) has appeared in court, where he was remanded in custody.

He is scheduled to return to court next week Monday, pending committal to the High Court where he is expected to answer on the two attempted murder charges preferred against him. During his appearance before Nhlangano Magistrate Musa Nxumalo yesterday, Rose indicated that he intends engaging the services of an attorney. This was after his rights to legal representation were explained to him.

Rose was charged after he allegedly shot two men at Glen Vuma Wine and Malt, in Sindzandlala on Saturday night.
Rose owns the bar.
He has been nominated for the ongoing elections at Ngololweni Umphakatsi, under Sandleni Constituency.
The two survivors Stephen Mavimbela (26) and Zwelakhe Dlamini (21) were on the same night admitted to the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

It was established that Mavimbela was rushed by police to the hospital while bleeding from gunshot wounds to his left thigh, while Dlamini was taken by the aspiring legislator and businessman to the same hospital after sustaining a fracture on his leg.
He was injured on the tibia, according to a medical report.
A nurse who was found in the hospital said thereeas a possibility that Dlamini might have to undergo a procedure to remove the bullet which is still lodged in his leg.

According to information gathered from the survivors, the businessman allegedly had a standing feud with Mavimbela, and had banned him from coming to his bar because he considered him troublesome.
It is said that on this particular day, Mavimbela went to the bar with the intention to pick up some of his friends because they were on that night supposed to go for a hunting expedition somewhere in South Africa. This publication was told that Rose’s employees alerted the businessman upon seeing Mavimbela on the premises.

Fire

It is then that the aspiring MP allegedly reached for his gun and opened fire. The businessman, who is a licensed firearm holder is said to have first warned tMavimbela against making any movement before he opened fire, hitting him in the thigh.
It was around nine in the evening when this happened at the gate of his premises.

In an interview at his hospital bed, Mavimbela said after he was shot, he ran towards the bar with the view to solicit help from his friends.
This is said to have infuriated the businessman who allegedly fired several shots, according to Mavimbela, aimed at him but missed.
It was during that skirmish that a customer (Dlamini) who had only been in the bar for fifteen minutes, also got shot by a stray bullet.
He was shot in the left leg, and the bullet is still lodged in his leg.

Information gathered is to the effect that the businessman left the scene before the arrival of the police, leaving behind Mavimbela who had run away from the compound in fear that he could be killed.
Police arrived promptly after being called by bar patrons.

“I then limped back to the bar area after seeing that police had arrived, and it is then that they rushed me to hospital,” said Mavimbela.
He said the other man had already left with the businessman for hospital. Police, however, caught up later with the businessman who was then charged with two counts of attempted murder.
Recounting what had transpired, Mavimbela said he was thinking that he was going to lose his life but fortunately the shot was targeted to his lower body.

He said he was not sure how many shots were fired, but they were more than three.
Meanwhile, the other survivor who was hit by the stray bullet said Rose was remorseful after what befell him. “He apologised and only forked out E110, towards medical expenses. He, however, said nothing along the lines of compensation,” Dlamini said.