ANC Ward 29 councillor Dumisane Masilela has been granted bail of R10,000 by the KaNyamazane Magistrates’ Court following his appearance on two charges of attempted murder. The 34-year-old councillor faces allegations arising from a murder-at-a-funeral-councillor-behind-bars-accused-of-shooting-grieving-dad/ar-AA1R5vQn?ocid=BingNewsSerp">shooting incident involving a grieving father and a neighbour. According to police information presented in court, Masilela allegedly shot and wounded the father of a teenage girl who had recently committed suicide, as well as another man living nearby.
During today’s proceedings, Magistrate Nakedi Malumane ruled that the interests of justice permitted the release of Masilela under strict conditions. The magistrate emphasised that while the charges were serious, the court found no substantial grounds to deny the accused bail at this stage of the investigation. Malumane further stressed that the accused must comply fully with the instructions issued by the court.
The bail conditions include that Masilela must refrain from interfering with witnesses and must not hinder the ongoing police investigation. He is also required to attend all court proceedings until the matter reaches finalisation. The magistrate reminded the accused that any violation of these conditions could lead to bail being revoked.
Quoting directly from the ruling, Magistrate Malumane stated: “I, therefore, find that it is in the interest of justice that the applicant or the accused should be released on bail and bail is fixed at R10,000, with the following conditions: number one, applicant must attend the case until the matter is finalised, and the accused must not interfere or influence witnesses in this matter.”
The case has been postponed to 19 January 2026 to allow for further investigation. Both the prosecution and defence indicated that additional evidence and statements still need to be gathered before the matter proceeds to trial.
As the legal process continues, both the ANC and the community of Ward 29 remains divided, with some residents expressing concern over the allegations against Masilela, while others maintain that due process must run its course before drawing conclusions.
