MBABANE – The High Court has denied a bail application from Fisile Bukiso Simelane on Wednesday, a repeat offender facing 190 charges related to organised crime and cybercrime, after she failed to meet initial bail conditions.
In his ruling, High Court Judge Ticheme Dlamini stated that granting Simelane bail would undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
Simelane was arrested alongside co-accused Ncaba Thandukukhanya Simelane, Nkululeko Mamba, and Philisiwe Sibandze; however, her application was opposed by the prosecution, unlike the others. They allegedly posed as representatives of banks and MTN Mobile Money, tricking victims—including pensioners—into entering specific numbers on their devices, which allowed the accused pin numbers.
Simelane argued that her co-accused, including her boyfriend Mamba, are out on bail. She faces a pending matter of similar nature for which she was granted bail in October 2024. The prosecution contended that this bail application should be dismissed due to her failure to disclose her previous case, her arrest while on bail, the whereabouts of her co-accused, and multiple violations of bail conditions. These violations included failing to report to the Manzini Police Station, not surrendering her passport, and possessing five electronic devices and seven SIM cards, despite restrictions.
In this application, Simelane stated her intention to plead not guilty to the charges. She said she cooperated with the police. Simelane said her arrest was merely due to her presence at Mamba’s residence. Simelane also cited health issues related to her asthma and mentioned that she supports herself through domestic work.
The court noted that she had not complied with previous bail conditions and assessed the risk of her absconding as high. Judge Dlamini expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of such cases.
Furthermore, the court stated that the argument regarding her co-accused being granted bail was not applicable, as the circumstances of their cases differed. Judge Dlamini highlighted that Simelane, as a repeat offender, did not provide a fixed residential address, making it difficult for her to be served.
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