Rustenburg - One of the Namibians linked to the theft of money at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court on Thursday.
Urbanus Shaumbwako, 37, is facing charges of unlawful possession of firearms and reckless driving.
He was arrested at a roadblock in October 2020, after he was found in possession of 12 automatic firearms.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, told journalists outside the court that Shaumbwako’s case had nothing to do with the Phala Phala scandal. He said Shaumbwako was only facing a firearms charge.
“As things stand, us as the NPA in the Western Cape we do not know anything about Phala Phala. We have got no case on Phala Phala in this case.
“The accused before this court is a 37-year-old Namibian nationals; he is charged with 12 counts of possession of illegal firearms (automatic firearm), which he was arrested for on Blaauwberg Road on 18 October 2020... nothing on Phala Phala only those,” he said.
Shaumbwako was supposed to make a plea statement in court, but his lawyer, Reon Heckrath, told the court that he could not proceed with the pleas because of new developments, television news channel Newzroom Afrika reported.
According to the broadcaster, Heckrath said the investigating officer and a member of the Hawks took his client out of his cell at Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town in June this year and questioned him without the lawyer present.
Heckrath told the court that the investigating officer and the Hawks officer asked Shaumbwako to go through Arthur Fraser's affidavit and point out any mistakes Fraser might have made, and to correct them.
He asked that Shaumbwako be placed in protective custody in case he was again secretly removed by the police.
The lawyer also told the court that Imanuwela David, also named by Fraser as an alleged Phala-Phala robber, was allegedly shot in Johannesburg last week.
David is believed to be the mastermind behind the Phala Phala farm theft.
Ntabazalila said Heckrath would have to make a formal application to the Department of Correctional Services for his client to be moved into protective custody.
The case was postponed to September 30.
IOL