The stepson of Buffalo City Metro’s deputy mayor Xola Pakati was arrested early on Saturday morning with two others in connection with a burglary at the home of former ANC youth league provincial chairman Ayanda Matiti.
Aphelele Katiya and his two co-accused appeared briefly in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday, but their case was not heard as there was confusion over the whereabouts of the docket.
After a few minutes, presiding magistrate Merwin Meyer ordered the three to be returned to the holding cells.
The Daily Dispatch understands the case was provisionally withdrawn pending further investigation.
The three were arrested hours after they allegedly broke into Matiti’s house on Friday night, stealing jewellery and other valuables worth more than R26000.
In court documents seen by the Daily Dispatch, the investigating officer recommends to prosecutors that charges against two of the three be withdrawn and for them to be used as witnesses against “accused number 1” (Katiya).
East London police spokesman Lieutenant Nkosikho Mzuku yesterday confirmed that the three had been arrested in Amalinda near Matiti’s house after a search was launched.
Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday, Matiti said he had received a phone call from his wife on Friday night informing him of a break-in.
“My wife was with the kids and they did not hear them coming in.
“After my wife called me, I immediately rushed home and we began searching for the suspects,” Matiti said.
Two hours later they found two men they believed to have taken part in the burglary, he added.
“When we got to them, they had the jewellery with them and they told us that they got it from Aphelele.
“We then continued searching for him with the help of police until we found him at around 2am on Saturday morning. He still had some of the jewellery with him but denied that he had stolen it from my house,” Matiti said.
Matiti, a former ANC youth league provincial chairman, recently led a number of demonstrations against regional and provincial ANC leaders.
Matiti stood against a Phumlani Mkolo and Xola Pakati-led collective at the recent ANC BCM regional conference.
However, the BCM regional conference elected Pakati as chairman, replacing former BCM mayor Zukisa Faku while Mkolo was retained as the secretary.
The disgruntled Matiti group has been demanding the ANC make public the findings of a report into its membership rigging scandal.
Zandile Pakati, Aphelele’s mother, refused to comment. — siphem@dispatch.co.za