UPDATE: Another night behind bars for Dlamini
BRAAMFONTEIN - As Dlamini waits to hear his fate, Wits University reports more skirmishes between students and police continue while other staff members and academics hold a silent protest.
After two days of presenting arguments in the case against former Wits SRC president Mcebo Dlamini, Magistrate Albertus Roux will tomorrow announce his decision on whether Dlamini will be granted bail.
BREAKDOWN: What happened at Wits and Braamfontein?Â
Arguments were presented by both sides at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court and prosecutor Steven Rubin said Dlamini was a flight risk as he was born in Swaziland, which was rebutted by Dlamini’s defense lawyer, Mongezi Ntanga.
WATCH: Wits students say you can’t postpone a revolution
Dlamini is charged with malicious damage to property, theft, assault and public violence. In his affidavit that was read out by his lawyer, Dlamini said he needed to be released on bail in order to write his upcoming exams. He also said he had no intention of intimidating witnesses in the matter. He further denied being a violent person, stating that he had never assaulted anyone and that it was he who was assaulted by the police.
UPDATE: Mcebo Dlamini remanded in custodyÂ
The State is opposing bail.
Dlamini was arrested in the early hours of 16 October at a student’s residence at Wits University.
#MceboDlamini affidavit: regarding the assault charge, I've never assaulted anyone. I was the one assaulted by police officer #Fees2017
— raeesa pather (@raediology) October 18, 2016
Rubin now speaking on #FeesMustFall protests being engaged in illegal protest action and activity #MceboDlamini
— raeesa pather (@raediology) October 18, 2016
As Dlamini’s case sat in court, several staff members and academics from the university staged a silent protest against the presence of police on campus and reiterated their solidarity with the students’ call for free, decolonised education.
#Wits #Fees2017 Concerned black staff & academics outside the Solomon Mahlangu Hall.
MV pic.twitter.com/T797e5pmci— Maryke Vermaak (@MarykeVermaak) October 18, 2016
Wits University’s senior communications officer, Shirona Patel said in a statement that there were several skirmishes overnight between a group of protesting students and police officers near the men’s residence at its Braamfontein campus.
“Some students blocked the road from the Matrix to the Old Mutual Sports Hall with rocks. The police removed the rocks. Windows at the sports hall were also broken,” she said. She added that the protesting group of students then threw a petrol bomb at a police van and pelted the police with rocks. She also reported that several fires were also started in dustbins and a van belonging to a service provider was overturned.
“A case was opened last night and the police are investigating the matter. No injuries were reported,” Patel said.
Lectures at the university continue.
