Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
OPPOSITION politician Job Sikhala was arrested yesterday by South African authorities for alleged illegal possession of explosives in Pretoria central.
The 53-year-old activist was taken into custody alongside a 78-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been confirmed.
The arrest was confirmed by South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Atlenda Mathe, who said: “The SAPS confirms that a 78 and a 53-year-old man have been arrested for being in illegal possession of explosives.”
Police acted on a tip-off regarding a vehicle travelling in Pretoria in the early hours of yesterday.
Officers stopped the Ford Fiesta and discovered 26 blasting cartridges and 15 capped fuse connectors.
Brig Mathe indicated that the pair will appear before the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday to face charges related to the possession of explosives.
While the specific intentions behind the possession of the explosives remains unclear, they are typically associated with illegal mining activities, cash-in-transit robberies and ATM bombings.
