Mamelodi's feared taxi boss Vusi "Khekhe" Mathibela has lodged a petition with the judge president of the supreme court of appeals in a fresh bid for freedom as his once-flourishing taxi empire crumbles.
Mathibela, 33, whose leave to appeal the revoking of his bail to the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) in Bloemfotein was dismissed, now seeks the intervention of Mandisa Maya, the court's judge president.
His R50,000 bail in the murder case of North West businessman Wandile Bozwana was revoked in March last year after the high court in Pretoria found that he had violated his bail conditions by not surrendering his passport and that he had intimidated a witness.
In court documents filed over a week ago, Mathibela appeals to Maya that his constitutional rights were being infringed on by the decision to dismiss his leave to appeal application in July this year.
"I am of the considered view that some matter of some importance has indeed been overlooked and that a great injustice will result if this application for leave to appeal is not granted," argued Mathibela in his affidavit.
Mathibela argues that the high court had relied on a hearsay from a third party that he had intimidated a witness and had incorrectly concluded that he violated his bail conditions as he had surrendered his passport.
"The fact that I travelled (to Mauritius) and returned to the Republic and that I attended my court hearing clearly demonstrates that I am not a flight risk, and furthermore that I would not run away from my responsibilities to stand trial," argued Mathibela.
Upon his arrest for intimidation and extortion last year, investigators established that he had been planning to travel to Dubai and had already been to Mauritius while out on bail.
This comes as more than a dozen taxis belonging to the once feared taxi boss are no longer operating, with some of them impounded by the Gauteng Traffic Police for operating illegally.
This has, according to Mathibela's associates, dried up his revenue streams as the Mamelodi Amalgamated Taxi Association (Mata) he once ran is also under administration since July.
Gauteng Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo told Sowetan that lawyer Hettie Groenewald, the administrator appointed to run Mata has, with the help of her advisory committee, brought about stability. He said he will today extend Groenewald's term till end of February.
"There has not been a killing since Mata has been under administration, in fact killing is extreme, there's has not been any form of violence," Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo refused to answer questions about Mathibela. "I've got nothing to do with Khekhe, He's in the hands of the police. I am just happy that the association is now stable," he said.
Taxi operators had protested in June over preferential treatment afforded to more than a dozen taxis owned by Mathibela, which were allegedly not queuing up to load passengers like all other taxis.
A taxi driver who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "Our protests against Khekhe's taxis have worked. His taxis are no longer operating in the township."
Mathibela was accused of financing his lifestyle with the weekly contributions by taxi operators. His uncle Suthu Mathibela, who was the association's deputy chairman, and Mathibela's ears and eyes, was shot dead in October last year.
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