The father of notorious prison escapee Annanias Mathe was granted bail at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Zaphanias Mathe (80) was granted R500 bail. He will appear in court again on June 19, coincidentally the same day that the younger Mathe will also appear to face his prison-escape charges.
The old man was arrested last week after he allegedly tried to smuggle an unknown substance hidden inside a loaf of bread to his son at Pretoria C-Max prison. He is charged with contravening the Correctional Services Act, which prohibits the smuggling of illegal substances into prisons.
Defence attorney Liz de Oliveira-Serrao told the court that Mathe’s father had fully cooperated with the investigating officers by showing them his place of residence at Alexandra township, in Johannesburg.
The old man said he did not know what the substance was that was hidden inside the loaf of bread. The substance was sent for laboratory tests last week.
The R500 bail will be paid by the defence attorney as the old man does not have any money.
The state’s conditions for bail were that Mathe’s passport be handed in to the investigating officer.
The court also heard that Mathe Snr is at the moment an illegal immigrant as his visa has expired. De Oliveira-Serrao said the passport is needed in order to renew the visa. This would be done on Monday, she said.
Magistrate Peet van Vuuren said he was surprised at how the state would want to grant an illegal immigrant bail.
”This is South Africa at its very best: perhaps the only country in the world where you commit an alleged offence and home affairs extends your visa and we expect the police and prosecutors to sort out the problem,” he said. — Sapa