EFF members charged with arson and attempted murder

07 October 2014 - 12:30
By Sapa
File photo
File photo

Four EFF members have handed themselves to police after six houses, some belonging to Nala municipality councillors, were burnt down, Free State police said on Tuesday.

"They are EFF members. They were wearing the T-shirts of their organisation when they handed themselves over yesterday [Monday] to Bothaville police," Captain Stephen Thakeng said.

Economic Freedom Fighters' spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi could not immediately be reached to verify if the four were party members.

They were charged with public violence, arson, attempted murder, and malicious damage to property, and would appear in the Bothaville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

On Friday, six houses were torched in the township of Kgotsong, four of them belonging to councillors. A library was also set alight.

Twelve people were subsequently arrested and appeared in court on Monday. They are Sam Ndlovu, 31, Koos Motsili, 29, Jona Mabunda, 28, Carlos Machava, 31, Sello Malefane, 42, Mokete Namola, 41, Moses Xaba, 30, David Schalkwyk, 24, Serame Khumalo, 24, and Motlalepule Chaana, 18.

The other two, Godfrey Tsoai, 51, and Plaatjie Ndisisa, 30, appeared separately.

Their case was postponed to October 13 for a bail application.