By Kaya 959 News
One of the men accused of instigating the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal two weeks ago has shifted the blame.
Bruce Nimmerhoudt is accused of sending a voice note, allegedly inciting violence, however, the leader of the Patriotic Alliance in the West Rand, told the court that he received the voice note and shared it.
He appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he was due to apply for bail however, he was additionally charged with terrorism under the Terrorism and Related Activities Act. This takes the matter to a Schedule 5 offense.
The State is opposing bail.
READ: Looted goods will be destroyed
Nimmerhoudt
In his defense, Nimmerhoudt claims he is being falsely implicated and his arrest is political as he is a mayoral candidate for his political party in the upcoming local government elections.
He maintains that he is innocent, adding that it’s not his voice that is in the voice note that was circulated.
“He agrees with the State that what is said on the voice note is tantamount to incitement to commit public violence, but insists that he is not the one speaking on the voice note that was circulated,” the NPA said.
Meanwhile, the court also heard testimony from incoming ward councillor, Una Dickson, who confirmed she is the one that forwarded the voice note to the party’s Whatsapp group with about 95 members, after receiving it from her aunt.
Nimmerhoudt is a member of the party’s Whatsapp group.
She corroborated Nimmerhoudt’s testimony that it was not his voice in the message.
READ: Alleged unrest instigator Ngizwe Mchunu denied bail
Dickson told the court that the person in the voice message had a different accent to Nimmerhoudt.
He further claims that on the night of his arrest, police stormed his home without a search warrant and called him a “criminal” and “a master instigator”.
Police believe they have a strong case against the accused.
The matter is due back in court on Friday.



