NC Speaker’s home petrol bombed

THE SPEAKER of Thembelihle Municipality, Danny Jonas, has opened four charges of attempted murder after his house in Hopetown was petrol bombed on Saturday.

Judgment was reserved in the Northern Cape High Court on October 13 after the ANC applied for an urgent interim interdict to remove Jonas as a councillor and as Speaker, and to prevent him from participating in any activities of the municipality.

Jonas said he was awoken during the early hours of Saturday morning by petrol bombs shattering his windows.

“My wife, two young daughters and I were asleep in the house at the time. It was between 2-3am when the first petrol bomb was thrown through the window. I woke up my family and dragged them out of the burning house. My youngest daughter is one years old and I managed to rescue her from her room that was engulfed in fire. We were overwhelmed by the smoke and my nine-year-old daughter had to be taken to hospital for medical treatment,” said Jonas.

Jonas indicated that four petrol bombs were thrown at his house.

“My house has been badly damaged and I will have to make arrangements for alternative accommodation. It is also not safe for me and my family to stay there. I have opened four cases of attempted murder - this was not just a threat, it is an attempt to take the lives of my family and myself. It appears as if the political fight against me, which became personal, has now turned into a criminal one.”

Jonas believed that the attack was a veiled attempt to prevent the forensic report into suspected irregular tenders awarded by the municipality from being submitted to council.

“I agreed not to convene any council meetings pending the finalisation of the court application although I am still the Speaker. I have requested National Treasury to hand over the forensic report to the Speaker for safekeeping until it can be tabled in council.”

Police spokesperson Captain Olebogeng Tawana said the Hopetown police were investigating a case of attempted arson and malicious damage to property after a house in Hopetown was allegedly petrol bombed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"The suspect/s is unknown and no one has been arrested yet. Police investigations are continuing," Tawana added.