#RabieRidgeProtest: Residents appear in court, claim wrongful arrest
RABIE RIDGE – Eight residents appeared in court after being arrested during recent protest action against land grabbers.
Eight Rabie Ridge residents appeared in the Tembisa Magistrates’ Court on 16 April after police arrested them for public violence at the community’s protest against land grabbers the day before.
The eight were arrested on charges of public violence on the day of the protest, three of them were elderly people.
All eight accused claimed that they were falsely arrested and did not take part in the protest action.
Charles Jones, who is the leader of the Rabie Ridge Residents Association, accompanied them to court and said that the magistrate wants more evidence in the form of photos, proving that the accused five are not guilty of the charges laid against them.
The five residents also laid charges of assault against the police, the magistrate then ordered that J88’s be brought forward to prove the severity of their injuries.
Mofana Masela, who is captain of the Rabie Ridge Residents Association, said the five who claimed that they were not taking part in the strike and opened cases of an assault should provide proof to the court.
He added that a J88 will be able to prove to what extent they were assaulted because it is a document from the hospitals they were admitted at. On the day of the court appearance three of the elderly people were acquitted, the remaining five accused will be appearing in court again on 27 May.
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/212152/city-power-announces-power-interruption-commercia-rabie-ridge/
