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DJs to face music

Accused of beating up a taxi driver and stealing his cellphone

TWO Nelson Mandela Bay kwaito stars who are facing charges of robbery and assault were disappointed yesterday when they were told that their matter would proceed to trial and not be withdrawn as they had earlier thought.

Lungile Msizi and S'thembiso Kula, commonly known by their stage names Sdudla and MaThousand, made a brief appearance in the New Brighton Magistrate's Court alongside co-accused Daxter Tjale, also known as DJ Dimpitsa.

The fourth accused, Lulama Kati, did not come to court and a warrant for his arrest was issued. However, the warrant would be held until Friday when a trial date is expected to be set.

The men are accused of beating up a taxi driver and stealing his cellphone while attending a friend's house-warming party in Motherwell in July.

They claim that the complainant, Lourens Matshisi, also from Motherwell, assaulted a woman after she refused to pay him taxi fare when he dropped her off at the same party.

A mob, including the four accused, allegedly intervened and beat up the taxi driver before robbing him.

The men were only arrested three weeks after the alleged incident and are out on R500 bail each. Msizi and Kula were arrested in August as they were about to go on stage to perform at a gig in Port Elizabeth.

The police said the complainant recognised the kwaito stars as his alleged attackers a few weeks after the incident when he saw a poster of them in the city.

Shortly before entering the courtroom yesterday, Msizi and Kula's manager, Monde Tshamlambo, said the charges would be withdrawn against the two stars at the state's request.

According to him, Matshisi had changed his mind and decided to withdraw his complaint.

Tshamlambo said the two men were relieved because they were "wrongly accused". He also said that since the news of the men's arrests broke, more and more people recognised them and they were being stopped in the streets for photographs.

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