Alleged KZN unrest instigator appears briefly in court, case postponed

The case against a 35-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man accused of instigating public violence was postponed on Monday to next week.

The suspect made a brief appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court following his arrest on Saturday by the Hawks for allegedly inciting public violence through social media and other platforms during the July riots that rocked KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

The man, who’s understood to be a security guard at a local supermarket, faces two charges of contravening the Riotous Assembles Act.

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National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson for KZN, Natasha Kara, said the charges included inciting public violence and arson.

“The charges relate to the incidences of looting and public violence that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal in mid-July, in particular, the burning of the Brookside Mall,” Kara said in a statement.

The man’s appearance in court was held in camera due to an identity parade that was yet to be conducted.

The case was postponed to 6 September for a formal bail application.

‘Sphithiphithi Evaluator’

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old woman who was arrested on Saturday in Gauteng for incitement to commit public violence was also expected to appear in court.

The suspect, a woman with a large Twitter following – known as Sphithiphithi Evaluator on the social media platform – was arrested during a search and seizure operation in Leondale, Ekurhuleni. She was set to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

The woman, who’s Twitter handle is @_AfricanSoil, is followed by almost 60,000 people, and is known for tweeting controversial statements.

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