Emeka Nwandiko
Time is running out for people’s poet Mzwakhe Mbuli if he is to try avoid a minimum 10-year sentence by naming senior African National Congress leaders who he claims framed him. Mbuli and two co-accused were found guilty in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this week of armed robbery and possession of a hand grenade.
Mbuli (38) has maintained his innocence since his arrest nearly 18 months ago, saying he was framed as part of a conspiracy to cover up drug trafficking by senior members of the government.
In an interview with the Mail & Guardian in November 1997, Mbuli said from his cell in Pretoria Central prison: “They wanted me out of the way because I was speaking out against drugs. That’s something I will never do again – look what happens when I do.”
During the trial, Mbuli said he had received information from Swaziland implicating politicians in drug smuggling. He never mentioned any politician by name.
On Monday, magistrate Frans Poolman took a different view. He found Mbuli and his co- accused Happy Shikwambe (27) and Ben Masiso (37) guilty of robbing FNB in Waverley, Pretoria, of R15 000 on October 28 1997.
Mbuli had earlier testified that he and his co- accused had gone to see a David Dlamini, who had information about the attempted murder of Mbuli a year earlier. The trio claimed Dlamini had spoken briefly to them before dropping a blue bag, which the police later found to contain money from the FNB robbery, into Mbuli’s BMW.
Poolman dismissed the claims. “How can one believe that a man who had just robbed a bank will casually stroll down the street, identify himself to three men sitting in a car, throw a bag of money into the car and run away?” he asked.
Addressing the issue of a conspiracy, Poolman said: “This argument does not carry weight … It must be remembered that the conspirators allegedly wanted to prevent Mbuli from revealing certain sensitive information. By placing him in jail, the conspirators had not kept him quiet and he would not remain silent as long as he is alive.”