The Protea Magistrate's Court court gallery was filled with ululation after Magistrate Rozelle granted Makgotso Mofokeng (39) R5,000 bail. Spectators, mainly sangomas, chanted in excitement that the celebrity gobela, popularly known as Gogo Maweni, is free after spending a week behind bars following her arrest on 19 January. Maweni is facing charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm from 2019.

Gogo Maweni's mother celebrates after court proceeding

JUDGMENT 

In delivering her judgment, Magistrate Khiye said, "The court is guided by Section 60, Subsection 480 of the Criminal Procedure Act; the state and the defence have nothing agreed that this is a Schedule 5 bail application. We've looked at the personal interest of the accused and the interest of justice, which must be interpreted. No evidence indicating that should the applicant be released on bail, it will pose any danger to the public or a particular person, specifically the complainant, whom she knows personally. " Khiye added," In the five years that the matter has been pending or investigated, there has been no evidence that the accused or the applicant had endangered the safety of the complainant." Khiye said no evidence suggests that Gogo Maweni would evade trial should she be released on bail. "Before her arrest, she was contacted by her husband and the police, and then she handed herself over to the Mondeor SAPS. There was no indication that she would evade trial; she has resided for 27 years in Mondeor."

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS 

Looking at the issue of Gogo Maweni not disclosing that she has previous convictions, Khiye said she understood the explanation of her defence counsel who said the client wasn't sure what matter she was being sought for, hence her non-disclosure. It was revealed in court that in 2009, on the 14th of October, she was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, and her sentence was postponed for two years. In 2017, on the 29th of September, she was convicted of assault GBH and was sentenced to a fine of R1,500 or three months in prison but was wholly suspended for five years. In 2018, on the 24th of July, she was convicted on two counts of fraud and two counts of theft from her previous employer. "The state has decided to furnish her with an additional charge of providing false information during this bail application," Khiye said. She concluded by giving Gogo Maweni her bail conditions, which included not making any contact with the complainant. "You have to inform the investigating officer or your attorney when you leave the Republic of South Africa to perform your work duties. You also have to confirm the dates of changing addresses, as you said you'll be moving to Fairlands once the work on the house is completed." The matter postponed to 11 February for the disclosure of the contents of the docket.