Kaizer Chiefs spokesperson Putco Mafani briefly appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for allegedly assaulting his wife, Phumeza, last weekend.
Magistrate Vincent Pienaar postponed the case to June 30 and extended Mafani’s R2Â 000 bail until his next appearance.
Mafani (39) faces a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, prosecutor Berenice le Roux said.
But Mafani’s lawyer, Themba Langa, told reporters outside the court that his client was accused of common assault, not assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
A charge of domestic violence was also withdrawn because the incident had nothing to with that, he said.
”The case has nothing to do with domestic violence. What happened was that Mr Mafani and his wife were tussling over a child and head-butted in that [scuffle].
”Mr Mafani is not an abuser,” Langa said, accusing Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Penuell Maduna of creating the wrong impression about Mafani.
Maduna told reporters at the opening of the Integrated Domestic Violence Training Programme in Pretoria on Monday that a soccer personality was to be arrested for assaulting his wife.
”It is completely inexcusable and I will ensure this person is arrested, prosecuted and sentenced,” he said. ”You just don’t do this to someone you apparently love.”
Langa said Maduna’s ”unfortunate outburst” created the impression that Mafani abused his wife when the two actually had a normal domestic dispute at their house.
Mafani and his wife sustained head injuries in that tussle, he said.
”This was nothing but an accident in the house. The family is distressed about the incident.”
Mafani was arrested on Monday and released on bail on Tuesday after his wife laid a charge against him following an incident at their home in the Naturena suburb of Johannesburg.
Before his court appearance, Mafani stood quietly outside talking on his cellphone most of the time. His friend Obed Netsianda stood by him all the time. — Sapa