Johannesburg - The State and the legal team of the only Fees Must Fall activist is still behind bars, on Tuesday reached an agreement to find a date for a bail hearing within two weeks.
The matter of Kanya Cekeshe was heard at the Gauteng High Court. Although Cekeshe was arrested in December 2017 and has since been detained at the Leeuwkop prison, the State still needs to file its answering affidavit and the Judge Leicester Adams ordered that matter matter be heard later in the day.
When proceedings commenced at the set time, an agreement between both parties was read by Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi on behalf of Cekeshe.
“The NPA shall accompany the Applicant’s legal representatives on 1 and 2 October to the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court to secure a date for the hearing of the application for bail pending appeal,” it read.
EFF Student Command members came out in their numbers to support Cekeshe, and picketed before and after proceedings outside the court to express their support and solidarity.
A close friend of Cekeshe, Nkanyiso Ngqulunga, said his friend should be pursuing other things and it was unfortunate that he was behind bars for a legitimate cause.
“We’ve been visiting him often. He is doing fine even though he is struggling. Sometimes he acts strong. Prison is not a place to rehabilitate people as they purport. I believe that he should be released.”
Fees Must Fall activist Mcebo Dlamini said it was disappointing that the State had come to proceedings unprepared.
“We still feel that through all the Fees Must Fall cases, the State plays delay tactics - so today those things are exposed.”
Kanya Cekeshe pleaded guilty to public violence and malicious damage to property charges after setting a police vehicle alight during the height of the #FeesMustFall protests in 2016 as young people fought to have tertiary education costs lowered or done away with.