Hendrina – Reverend Thomas Mpye, former speaker of Steve Tshwete council and currently an independent councillor, is facing serious allegations of assaulting and pepper spraying residents.
Four members of the KwaZamokuhle community in ward 2 in Hendrina allegedly became victims of the Reverend’s actions last Friday, 12 September, when they were pepper-sprayed, punched and kicked.
In an interview with the Highveld Chronicle, one victim, Songezo Simakade, said: “As we gathered peacefully at the project site, he [Mpye] approached us with a group of men. Initially, we thought he had come to speak with us, but then he unleashed pepper spray and they began to beat and kick us to the ground.”
“We were seeking answers about an unfair hiring process, inflated costs, and the exclusion of local subcontractors from the bidding process. They consistently favour their friends and political allies in providing jobs and business opportunities, even going so far as to hire a security firm that employs people from outside our community, despite the fact that local residents are more qualified for those roles.”
However, the Reverend claimed that he was left with little option but to pepper spray the crowd in self-defence. “I am not a violent individual and do not turn to aggression to address conflicts. However, I had no choice but to use pepper spray in self-defence as they were clearly set on attacking me when I approached them to ask about the situation,” he claims.
Reverend Mpye was elected speaker of the Steve Tshwete municipality council after the 2021 local government elections, which he contested as an independent candidate for Ward 2.
There was no political party that had an absolute majority in council.
However, in August 2023, he stepped down amid an impending motion of no-confidence against him following accusations of improper use of the official vehicle assigned to his role, as well as claims that he conducted council meetings in a biased manner, ultimately bringing council into disrepute.
In June this year, the Reverend established a new political party known as Hendrina United Community Development (HUCD), all in preparation to compete in the upcoming local government elections set for 2026.
His successor, Thato Mathunyane, mentioned that he has been made aware of the incident and is looking into what truly happened. “The issue has been reported to the office of the speaker and is now under investigation. Once the findings are in, the necessary actions will follow,” he said.
The case was set to be presented in court on 17 September, but this never happened as it wasn’t included in the court’s roll. “When we attended court, we learned that the case wasn’t officially registered, meaning it essentially doesn’t exist,” Simakade said.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdluli said two cases had indeed been opened; one by the complainant and another as a counterclaim by the accused.
“It’s important to note that police don’t enroll cases,” he said. “We’ve fulfilled our responsibilities by opening both cases, arresting both individuals, and bringing the necessary documentation to court.”
The paper also reached out to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) that said there was no sufficient evidence to bring the matter to court. “The evidence was not enough for enrolment,” said NPA Mpumalanga spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.
