The Northern Cape provincial minister for finance and economic affairs, Pakes Dikgetsi, appeared in court on Friday on domestic violence-related charges, police confirmed.
Spokesperson Superintendent Mashay Gamieldien confirmed his arrest, also on Friday, and court appearance in Kimberley.
”The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit in Kimberley arrested a local provincial minister on a warrant of arrest for failing to comply with the conditions of a Protection Order according to Section 17(a) of the Domestic Violence Act,” she said.
Dikgetsi was granted bail of R300 and the matter was postponed to June 22.
According to a Bloemfontein newspaper, a case of common assault was withdrawn against the provincial minister in March 2004. It related to an incident at his home.
At the time the case was apparently withdrawn after he paid R500 bail on condition that he would not again assault the woman who laid the charge. It was not clear who the woman was.
It was not clear on Friday if his arrest and court appearance was in connection with the 2004 incident. — Sapa