Alleged illegal mining kingpin Dumisani Moyo denied bail

The Carletonville magistrate’s court on Thursday denied bail to Dumisani Moyo, 35, one of six men alleged to be illegal mining kingpins in the area.  

On their second appearance on October 17, five of the six accused abandoned their bail applications. However, on Thursday, Bethuel Ngobeni, 38, Nhlanhla Leon Magwaca, 26, Thabo Prince Sechele, 34, and Moseki Sechele, 28, informed the court through their legal representatives that they intended to apply for bail.

Khudzai Mashaya opted to abandon his bail application.

The six are facing seven counts of unlawful dealing in precious metals, three counts of fraud and money laundering. 

Ngobeni, Magwaca, Moyo and Mashaya are also facing four counts of being illegally in the country.

It is alleged the six men illegally collected precious metals from disused and abandoned mines, processed and sold them.  It is further alleged that with the proceeds they received they bought properties using false names, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.

In his application, Moyo asked to be released on R2,000 bail.

He told the court he was a South African  born in Welkom, Free State. 

However, the state opposed Moyo’s application and called an immigration officer from the department of home affairs, who testified that Moyo’s identity document was obtained fraudulently.

The officials said the hospital Moyo claimed to have been born at was opened four years after he was born.

Also, the official said there were no records at the school he claimed to have attended.  The state handed in a document from the department of home affairs calling for Moyo’s citizenship to be cancelled. 

In his judgment, the magistrate said Moyo was not honest and did not convince the court that it was in the interest of justice that he be released on bail.

The matter was postponed until November 23 for the bail application of the other four accused. 

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