Man appears in court over death threats

The state is facing a mammoth task of having to prove beyond reasonable doubt if the threatening text messages sent to Hawks provincial spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni, were indeed sent by a 41-year-old Mdantsane man who now stands accused of intimidation.

The state will also have to prove whether voice calls made to Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) chief executive Ndzondelelo Dlulane, warning him of a possible assassination plot against him, were indeed made by Sithembele April who appeared at the East London Regional Court yesterday.

These are the sentiments of his legal representative, Mkhuseli Nosilela, when he spoke to the Dispatch yesterday.

Nosilela was speaking just moments after the state had provided him with cellphone records they have in their possession and which are allegedly linking April to the alleged crime.

April was arrested last November after he had allegedly sent a text message to Feni, threatening her with death if she did not resign from the police service “within two days”.

This was after April had allegedly called Dlulane’s office to warn him of a possible hit on him, which he allegedly said was planned in his presence, by alleged hitman he knew, and which he allegedly said were hired by someone who had just been fired at ECDC at the time.

Yesterday, April made a brief appearance in front of regional court magistrate Dan Ngoqo, who postponed the matter for May 3 for the start of the trial.

Yesterday’s postponement, Ngoqo said, was to allow the defence team time to study the contents of such phone records which were handed to them by state prosecutor Khaya Makwakwa yesterday.

At the time of April’s arrest, Hawks national spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi told the Dispatch that the threats had been taking place for about 12 months.