Singer and music producer, Chicco Twala has been granted R2 000 bail in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon. He was arrested on Monday for allegedly assaulting and pointing a toy gun at a City Power technician on Sunday.
Twala was arrested after City Power opened a case against him at the Douglasdale Police Station for allegedly assaulting one of its technicians responding to a power outage outside Twala’s home. The power utility alleges Twala attacked the technicians who were then assisted by neighbours.
“I can confirm that our team was threatened and subsequently pulled out of the Bloubosrand area after a rude customer threatened them. The team told him they have every right to work in the area along with our municipal servitude. The resident is alleged to have pulled out a gun and pointed it at one of our technicians. He’s said to have also choked the technician pinning him to the ground,” says spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
Twala claims he thought the technicians were cable thieves who were tampering with his meter as his property was not affected by the outage.
“When my gardener alerted me, telling me that two men were tampering with the meter, I quickly went outside and found the two men and I got scared. I thought they were cable thieves, I screamed and asked him to bring the gun, I didn’t say to the men it was a toy gun because I don’t know them. So, when he went to the house, he came back with gun, a toy gun the police took, I pointed the gun at them and asked what they were doing.”
Twala who has been accused by many of shielding his son Longwe, through his alleged influence, in connection with the Senzo Meyiwa murder case, says his arrest proves he is an ordinary citizen.
“My arrest proves I am not above the law. The police arrested me, locked me up and I am an abiding citizen. Whatever these haters and what people are saying about me is their problem. They are the ones who are suffering, I am not suffering, I am not even bothered by insults and all that but at the end of the day, the truth will come out. If I am guilty of anything, I am more than ready to face the consequences of my action. Police can arrest me, I don’t have a problem with that.”
Twala says he apologised to the technicians:
He briefly appeared in court where the matter was remanded .
“We can confirm as the NPA that Ernest Twala also known as Chicco Twala appeared on charges of pointing what resembles a firearm as well as common assault. The incident happened on the 1st of May 2022 and was arrested the following day. He allegedly strangled one of City Power’s technicians,” says NPA spokesperson, Pindi Mjonondwana.
The matter has been postponed to the 26 August for further investigations.
