Trumped up charges brought against naked protester Gugu Ncube - advocate

Gugu Ncube who was arrested at the Union Buldings for public indecency leaves the Pretoria Magistrate's Court .Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Gugu Ncube who was arrested at the Union Buldings for public indecency leaves the Pretoria Magistrate's Court .Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Mar 14, 2019

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Pretoria - Defence advocate for naked protester Gugu Ncube alleges the charges brought against his client are nothing more than a delaying tactic to shift focus on the real issue.

Advocate Rudzani Netshiavha, speaking outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court this afternoon, alongside a solemn-faced Ncube, said the charges brought against his client were nothing more than “trumped up charges.”

Netshiavha, of Nefuri Attorneys Inc, said his client was being charged with public indecency, which did not according to him qualify with the act.

He said if anything the charges brought against Ncube were nothing more than delaying tactics that were being used, due to them going against "White elephants" such as university institutions.

"Because university institutions have the financial muscle to continue to drag the matter out until the complainant runs out of funds.”

He said this time however, they were out of luck as the matter would reach its finality.

“From our point of view, these are charges that a meant to distract the victim who was a victim of sexual abuse.”

Netshiavha also criticised the manner in which his client was handled by the police as witnessed in videos circulated on social media platforms since Wednesday.

He described the manner in which she was handled as an extreme use of violence against an unarmed woman, who didn’t even have a weapon or stone in her hand.

“All she had was a placard, but that simple placard was so strong that it summoned the entire Sunnyside police station to approach and arrest a single woman.”

Actions which according to him, were not necessary in the first place.

Ncube had been heavily traumatised from having been detained with common criminals, and that such a situation could not be tolerated, he added.

She would, in fact, be looking at going for counselling.

He alleged Ncube was out on bail and it had been extended to her next court appearance.

However, Sunnyside police spokesperson, Captain David Mavimbela, rubbished allegations of trauma being meted out to Ncube by her being treated any differently.

If anything Mavimbela said Ncube was kept in cells with other female offenders, as she was, and had in fact been released the same day with a warning by the police to appear in court.

He said Ncube’s warning, and not bail had been extended instead.

The case postponed for further investigations and representations to the senior public prosecutor on how the matter will proceed.

Ncube will return to court on April 10.

Pretoria News

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