Andile Lungisa has been fighting to avoid prison, having submitted multiple appeals of his conviction, even approaching the Constitutional Court.
FILE: Andile Lungisa. Picture: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG – African National Congress (ANC) Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Andile Lungisa will remain behind bars, despite being granted bail in the High Court in Makhanda.
Lungisa was granted R10,000 bail- after his lengthy bid to appeal his two-year jail sentence for assault.
The councillor was convicted after he smashed a glass water jug over a da councillor’s head during a brawl in 2016.
Lungisa has been fighting to avoid prison, having submitted multiple appeals of his conviction, even approaching the Constitutional Court.
On Friday he was granted his heart’s desire, but he has now opted to turn down the bail offer.
Speaking to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) his brother Ayongezwa said Lungisa has some unfinished business behind bars.
“Andile has the interest of finishing the programmes he would have started inside prison.”
Andile Lungisa’s brother Ayongezwa Lungisa says Andile Lungisa has opted not to be released on bail today.Ayongezwa says they had the money for his release,but Andile refused saying he would like to 1st complete the programmes his started in prison,before comimg out. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/T4pkUnJwwY
— Lerato Fekisi (@LThipa) September 25, 2020
He said the family could afford to bail him out.
“We are not a family where literally we could show bank accounts, but we had money – and to the point that we had withdrawn money to bail him out.”
It’s unclear how long Lungisa would remain in prison for while the Constitutional Court was yet to make a ruling on his appeal.
