Floyd Shivambu’s assault case postponed due to travel restrictions

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu’s assault case was postponed again at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday, due to provincial travel restrictions during lockdown.

Shivambu faces a charge of common assault. The case relates to an alleged assault of photographer Adrian de Kock at Parliament’s precinct on 20 March 2018.

The incident occurred while the media was covering the party disciplinary matter between then Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille and the Democratic Alliance at the Parliamentary precinct.

De Kock was among a media group taking photographs and reporting on the comings and goings related to the matter at the precinct at the time.

The alleged assault was captured on video.

Shivambu was not at court on Friday. His lawyer told the court he could not make it because of lockdown restrictions that made travel from Johannesburg difficult.

He is also still waiting for the outcome of his representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The NPA had sent a question regarding the representations to his lawyer, and it had been replied to, the court heard.

Due to the coronavirus lockdown, and the difficulty that out-of-town individuals face in getting to court, magistrates are staying – or holding over – warrants of arrest that are prepared when an accused does not arrive for their court date.

For people who had to be in court, officials outside checked on the court roll that they were due to appear in, and they either waited outside until they were called into the building, or sat at a distance in the empty passages of the usually bustling court.

Temperatures are also scanned for everybody entering the building, in line with Covid-19 protocols.

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