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Taxi extortion accused wait to hear their fate

Two men accused of running an extortion racket alongside Mamelodi taxi boss Vusi "Khekhe" Mathibela will have to wait until Friday to hear if they will be released on bail. 

Elias Skhosana and Stemmer Monageng appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Skhosana was arrested during a multi-disciplinary intelligence-driven operation at his home in Silverlakes Estate, Pretoria East on March 8 and Monageng was arrested in the early hours of March 9 at his home in Bronkhorstspruit.

Mathibela was arrested on Tuesday evening after he handed himself over to police in Germiston.

They have been charged with extortion and intimidation for allegedly extorting money from taxi drivers, spaza shops and businesses.


READ: Mamelodi taxi boss intends to take Cele to court over 'thugs' comments

In the bail hearing, Skhosana argued that he was eligible for bail because he was not a flight risk and had a fixed address in Mamelodi. He undertook to continue to live there for the duration of the court proceedings.

"I have handed in my passport and will not abscond," submitted Skhosana.

The court is expected to give its ruling on Friday.

Mathibela abandoned his bid for bail, opting to approach the high court to have his detention declared unlawful instead.

He has accused police of assaulting him while in custody.

It is not the first time that he has been in trouble with the law.

He is currently on trial for the murder of construction and property mogul Wandile Bozwana, who was shot in a suspected hit in 2016 in Pretoria.

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