Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) denied bail for two of the four Johannesburg students who were arrested for public violence in Braamfontein during ongoing student protests.
Monday marked the first day of national shutdown at higher education institutions across the country, when four university students from Johannesburg were arrested in Braamfontein and taken to Hillbrow police station for alleged public violence .
The students were arrested after police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who marched against financial exclusion, student debt and registrations at universities.
Following the arrests, it was reported that the students, mostly from Wits University and the UJ, made their way to Hillbrow police station, where they protested into the night. While the students were at the police station, two of the detained protesters were released while the other two remained in police custody.
On Tuesday afternoon, a small group of students gathered outside the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court awaiting to hear whether their fellow students would be prosecuted.
It was reported that during the court proceeding, the court heard that the State opposed bail for Moses Leshodi and Orediretse Mosebe because they allegedly had a pending case in Stellenbosch, while Siyasanga Tshembele and Sivuyile Mhatu were out on bail.
Following the proceedings, NPA South Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said that four men appeared at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for public violence.
“That matter has been postponed to Friday for a formal bail application,” she said.
Mjonondwane said the NPA was busy with investigations in preparation to respond to the suspects’ bail application.
She added that the information regarding the nature of the suspects’ pending cases would be revealed during the bail application hearing.
As a result of the pending case, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court case became a Schedule 5 offence.
“If a person commits a Schedule one offence and then they repeat and commit another Schedule one offence, that person will then be appearing in court for a Schedule 5 offences,” Mjondwane explained.
During Wits protests last week, seven students from the university were arrested.
Students were picketing outside Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court on March 10 when the NPA announced that the state would not prosecute any of the students arrested during the protest due to the lack of evidence.
However, one of the dockets where a suspect was arrested for malicious damage to property, was referred for further investigation.
Meanwhile, there was a female student who was allegedly shot in the leg on Monday afternoon and was subsequently rushed to Milpark Hospital.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said none of the SAPS members who were deployed in Braamfontein had fired any shots during the protests.
“However, in an effort to disperse volatile crowds, only a smoke grenade was used in one incident and water cannons in others,” Naidoo said.
The SAPS said that police were looking forward to interviewing the injured student as well as obtaining the medical report regarding the matter.
The Star