Public barred from UKZN students bail hearing

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Published Oct 2, 2015

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Durban - A decision to bar the public from attending the bail hearing of two University of KwaZulu-Natal students was taken after it emerged that court officials were threatened.

National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara confirmed on Friday that the reason the application to have the bail hearing of Lukhanyo Mtshingana and Luwazi Magwaza heard in camera had been as a result of the threats.

She did not say specifically who had been threatened or what the nature of the threat was.

“Due to serious intimidation and security threats that were levelled against court officials, it was proper to hold the matter in camera. This serves to protect court officials, as well as the possible state witnesses,” she said.

The decision to hold the bail application in camera was taken at the pair’s last appearance on September 23.

Ramkisson-Kara said KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Moipone Noko had “forwarded these concerns to the SAPS provincial head for investigation”.

On Friday a group of about 150 students protested outside the Pinetown Magistrate’s court, with some carrying placards that read “Free our Comrades” and “Free our Leaders”.

By late afternoon on Friday it was not clear what had come of the bail hearing of the pair, as members of the press were also prevented from attending.

Mtshingana is the president of the university’s Westville campus student representative council.

The pair were arrested following the violence that erupted on September 13 and 14, when the university’s administration block was torched.

The university has been plagued by violent protests for the past three weeks with a group of students apparently angry that the university had terminated what is known as the Registration Appeals Committee process.

This process allows students owing the university tuition fees to enter into an agreement with the institution to pay their debts in installments while continuing with their studies.

There were reports of more protests on the Westville campus on Thursday night and the Edgewood campus on Friday morning. It is believed that one security guard was injured when he was attacked by a group of students.

Comment could not be obtained from the police.

ANA

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