/ 24 January 1999

MZWAKHE MOVE DENIED

THE Pretoria Regional Court on Friday ruled that people’s poet Mzwakhe Mbuli will remain in Pretoria Central Prison following an application by Mbuli that he be moved because his fans will not leave him alone. Mbuli’s lawyer, Wessie Wessels, requested that his client be moved to a police station to isolate him from the attention of fans and supporters, who visit him constantly. Mbuli, who is awaiting trial for six charges, including armed robbery and illegal possession of a gun laid assault and crimen injuria charges against police on Thursday. Mbuli’s lawyer claims his client was assaulted by police in the Pretoria Regional Court.

GAY POLITICIAN IN PARLOUR LINK

THE Greater Johannesburg’s Eastern Council is investigating complaints that Juan Uys, leader of the newly formed Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA) party, is running a gay massage parlour from a house in Greenside East.The Star reported on Friday that neighbours complained to the council that naked men chase each other around the garden until the early hours of the morning and that condoms and syringes are being thrown over their walls. Uys, whose party is running in the upcoming election, apparently confirmed to the newspaper that he has an interest in a massage parlour in Pretoria but denied the Greenside East house as a parlour. GLA has threatened The Star with a R250000 lawsuit. An advertisement in the paper’s classified section, however, carries the house’s phone number.

PRINCESSES OF CHAOS

LEGISLATORS in the Ugandan tribal kingdom of Buganda have produced evidence to counter claims by three princesses that the reigning king, or Kabaka, is not the biological son of his predecessor and occupying the throne illegally. Three dissident princesses have claimed that the 44-year-old Mutebi is the son of Mutesa’s closest friend, Daudi Ochieng’, from the Acholi tribe of northern Uganda.However, they did not name the rightful heir although Mutesa has many other sons from his many wives. Mutebi was enthroned in 1993 after President Yoweri Museveni lifted a 27-year ban imposed on tribal monarchies by the regime of Milton Obote.