Monday 23 May 2016

Rhythm City's 'Brenda' wins case

Actress Lele Ledwaba this week won her legal battle against the Metro Police officer who she sued for assault last year.

The Sowetan reports that Trekkie Ayuk Tikhoni was fired from her job as a Metro cop after she was found guilty of assault, for an incident in 2015, which left Ledwaba – who plays Brenda in ‘Rhythm City’ – with several injuries.

Ledwaba opened a case against Tikhoni, who manhandled the actress after she pulled her over and accused her of yielding at a stop street instead of stopping.

Ledwaba at the time said she tried to explain that she had, in fact, stopped at the traffic sign after she was pulled over, but that the female officer became aggressive very quickly, jerking her out of the car and twisting her arms behind her back, this while her baby cried hysterically.

The incident left her with a fractured wrist, a broken thumb, and severe bruising on her shoulder.

Ledwaba’s South African Police Service (SAPS) case was heard in March, after she was summoned to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Internal Affairs, and the case continued in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Annelene Arjnan in court this week asked that the case be postponed, in order for the state to re-charge Tikhoni.

Speaking in court, Arjnan said “the state wants to add two more charges”, because it felt the initial charges don’t justify the seriousness of the allegations against Tikhoni. The state wants to add charges of assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property.

Tikhoni’s dismissal was reportedly confirmed to Ledwana in a document, which reads: “The department investigated a case of assault against [Tikhoni] lodged by yourself. The alleged misconduct was investigated and finalised and the employee was found guilty and dismissed at a formal disciplinary tribunal.”

When approached by the Sowetan for comment on her victory, Ledwaba said: “I couldn’t work for two and a half months. I’m glad that the case is taking this route.”

Aside from her part in ‘Rhythm City’, Ledwaba is known for playing Pinkie Serobe in ‘Stokvel’, Dudu in ‘Home Affairs’, and Diksie Lebone in ‘The Wild’.