PE councillor accused of assault hands himself in
Image: Siyabonga Sesant
The Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 41 councillor accused of viciously attacking two women on the day his house was targeted by angry residents was arrested after handing himself over to the police.
Yesterday, police spokesman Constable Mncedi Mbombo said ANC councillor Simphiwe Tyukana handed himself over on Monday.
“He was arrested at the police station and processed. By that afternoon, the suspect [Tyukana] was released on warning.
Mbombo said Tyukana was arrested for pointing a firearm and common assault.
Tyukana said the reason why he delayed handing himself over to the police was because his lawyer was only available on that day.
“I wanted to go there with my lawyer because I didn’t want a distorted version of my story going out there again,” he said.
Tyukana maintains his innocence and that he does not own a gun.
The two women who were allegedly assaulted by Tyukana – Funiwe Makeleni, 55, and Maude Sifani, 57 – claimed he attacked them after residents who were angry about land evictions in Joe Slovo threw stones and tried to burn down his house.
Tyukana’s wife, two children and a neighbour were inside the house at the time.
He will appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court on May 7.
