Carl Niehaus appears in court for violating Covid regulations

Former Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) spokesperson, Carl Niehaus, is due to appear at the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court on Monday for contravening Covid-19 regulations last year.

Niehaus was arrested on 8 July 2021 outside the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal while being interviewed by SABC News.

WATCH: Carl Niehaus arrested while live on television

According to the National Prosecuting (NPA), Niehaus contravened the Disaster Management Act when he organised a protest outside the prison calling for the release of jailed former president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma was incarcerated at the time for contempt of the Constitutional Court and South Africa was under alert level 4 lockdown. All gatherings were prohibited at the time, except for funerals.

Admission of guilt fine

During his arrest, Niehaus was given the option to pay an admission of guilt fine of R3,000. However, he refused to pay tand chose to challenge the charges in court.

Niehaus maintains that the state has no case against him and believes the charges he faces are politically motivated.

During his last court appearance in February, the legal representation for Niehaus asked for a postponement. The request was to obtain further video footage.

The postponement was granted by the court.

Senior state advocate Yuri Gangai advised the court that the NPA was ready to proceed with the trial.

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