Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Nyalungu is due to appear in Mkhuhlu court for bail

Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Nyalungu is expected to appear in the Mkhuhlu Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, October 30, for his bail sentence.

He previously appeared before the packed court on October 18, when he applied for bail with the help of his legal representative, Bheki Shilubane.

@laagvelder

#josephnyalungu was arrested again yesterday, Tuesday, October 15. He appeared in court today but has been remanded in custody. ‘Big Joe’ was caught with explosives commonly used in cash robberies. #kingpin #rhino #poaching #cour

♬ original sound – Lowveld Media

Nyalungu was arrested after the National Intervention Unit and the Mpumalanga Hawks executed a search warrant to raid his workshop in Mkhuhlu on October 15. There they allegedly found two sticks of dynamite, two detonators, two cords and three rounds of 458 rifle ammunition.

READ ALSO: The Mkhuhlu District Court will keep Big Joe in custody until the bail sentence

These explosives are said to be famous for their use in ATM bombings and ATM robberies.

During his appearance, Nyalungu cited his health problems, caring for his four children and being an employer for several people in Mkhuhlu as reasons for being granted bail. He also pointed out that he had resided in the Mkhuhlu/Hazyview area all his life and had gone to court in all his other cases without fail.

@laagvelder

Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Nyalungu was remanded in custody until October 30 for judgment on his bail application. Nyalungu appeared in the Mkhuhlu Magistrate’s Court today, October 18, after the Hawks arrested him on October 15 for possession of explosives and ammunition at his workshop in Mkhuhlu. Nyalungu was not asked to plead to these charges. However, the state opposed his bail application on the allegations that he had similar cases pending and that he had allegedly committed the same crime for which he was released on bail. The State also argued that he would commit the same crime if released. However, his defense told the court that Nyalungu should be released as he poses no threat to the community. He claimed that Nyalungu also has a chronic illness for which he is on medication. Finally, there are many employees who depend on him for their salaries. He further told the court that when Nyalungu was arrested in 2012, police beat him up, damaging his left eye. He claims his vision is blurred and this makes reading difficult. He said Nyalungu has not skipped court in any of his previous cases and is therefore not a flight risk. Nyalungu was allegedly found in possession of two sticks of dynamite, two detonators, two chords and three rounds of 458 ammunition. The explosives are said to be famous for their use in ATM bombings and cash robberies. The State indicated during his appearance that it still needed to be determined whether Nyalungu had any previous convictions before he could apply for bail. During his performance he was flanked by his wife, relatives and friends. The newspaper spoke to Nyalungu’s wife, Dudu, who insisted her husband’s latest arrest was a set-up. “If you’re a cop, you can’t claim you found something illegal in someone’s home without that person being physically present,” she said. Joseph recently spent almost six months in a Limpopo prison after being arrested by Hoedspruit police following a high-speed chase. He was charged with money laundering and awarded R10,000 by the Naphuno Magistrate’s Court in Lenyenye, outside Tzaneen. Over the years, Joseph has been in and out of prison for cases such as rhino poaching, murder, extortion, theft, tax evasion, money laundering, corruption and others. Millions of rands believed to be proceeds of crime were confiscated from Joseph’s various homes more than a decade ago. After his arrest, a number of police officers involved in his cases are said to have moved from the Lowveld out of fear. Joseph is loved by the community in Mhkuhlu. Many see him as a Good Samaritan who helped many poor souls in the past. > Video: Riot Hlatshwayo #BigJoe #Court #Mkhulu #Magistrate #BigJoe #Court #Mkhulu #Magistrate #rhino #bigjoe #nyalungu #bail #bondhearing

♬ original sound – Lowveld Media

The state opposed his bail application based on allegations that he had similar pending cases and that he might commit more crimes if released.

READ ALSO: Big Joe arrested for possession of explosives

The Hawks’ investigating officer, Captain Martin Mandla Mlotshwa, told the court that Nyalungu was not a good candidate for bail because he continued to commit crimes even when he was on bail in other cases.

READ ALSO: Shocking details about alleged police involvement in rhino poaching

Nyalungu was free on R10,000 bail at the time of his arrest. The permission was granted late last year by the Naphuno Magistrate’s Court in Lenyenye, outside Tzaneen, Limpopo. He spent almost six months behind bars after being arrested in Hoedspruit for alleged money laundering.

Over the years, Nyalungu has appeared in several courts, including the Mbombela High Court and the Skukuza Magistrate’s Court, where he faced charges including rhino poaching, murder, extortion, theft, tax evasion, money laundering, corruption and others.