Attempted murder-accused Jossey Buthane continues to campaign for ANC

ANC member Jossey Buthane, who is out on bail after appearing in court on Friday on an attempted murder charge, is continuing to campaign for the governing party in the last few days before the May 29 elections.

Buthane was released on R5,000 bail on Friday by the Seshego magistrate's court in Limpopo. He had been arrested on the same day and charged with the attempted murder of a 25-year-old man who was shot in Juju Valley, Seshego during a political campaign on May 19.

Tensions had flared up in Juju Valley when the EFF and ANC both campaigned in the same area. There was a shooting in which the 25-year-old man sustained injuries and a nine-year-old girl was shot in the head. 

Buthane, who recently jumped ship from the EFF, seemed unfazed by the legal showdown as shortly after his release he announced he was preparing to go to the FNB stadium in Johannesburg where the ANC is holding its final election rally on Saturday.

“I'm going to shout into the microphone and tell you that I'm packing my bag and I'm going to FNB stadium. Let's go cadres,” he said. 

He described himself as a “phunyuka bamphethe”, which means a person who escapes captivity or a trap.

“No small boy working with the system can defeat us,” Buthane wrote on social media, sparking speculation his cryptic notes were addressed to the EFF. 

The ANC has questioned Buthane's arrest by the police. ANC Limpopo secretary Reuben Madadzhe said the party was concerned the police were “targeting ANC members” for the shooting.

“The ANC Limpopo is concerned that members of SAPS are only targeting ANC members despite criminal cases being opened against EFF members. The ANC believes the case against Jossey is politically motivated and aims to prevent him from mobilising support for the ANC across the province particularly in the last leg of elections. The ANC in Limpopo is calling upon members of the SAPS to desist from targeting its members and apply the law equally without favour,” Madadzhe said. 

“We will continue to monitor the situation as well as the conduct of the SAPS in the manner in which they are dealing with the matter emanating from the Juju Valley incident.” 

Here are some reactions from social media: