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Mcebo Dlamini bail ruling postponed to Wednesday

Mcebo Dlamini appears in court. Picture Credit: Julia Madibogo
Mcebo Dlamini appears in court. Picture Credit: Julia Madibogo

Fees Must Fall leader Mcebo Dlamini will know on Wednesday whether he will receive bail.

Magistrates Albertus Roux postponed the bail judgement to Wednesday following a lengthy application process on Tuesday.

“You are not going to wait too long for my ruling. I will give my ruling first thing tomorrow morning‚” Roux told Dlamini shortly before adjourning.

The former Wits SRC president is charged with public violence‚ theft‚ possession of dangerous weapons and assault GBH.

The state opposed bail on the basis that the student leader‚ whom it emerged in court was born in Swaziland and only obtained a South African citizenship 2014‚ might skip the country.

State Prosecutor Steven Rubin said Dlamini should not be released as he had no respect for court orders and had been instrumental in mobilising students in Fees Must Fall protests in defiance of a court order obtained by Wits against protests.

Rubin also pierced holes at Dlamini’s reliability over his claims that he would be writing a test on Tuesday after it emerged there was no test scheduled for his modules on the day.

The state said it was in possession of video footage which shows Dlamini holding dangerous weapons such as stones and sticks. It also produced a picture which it says shows Dlamini attacking a police officer.

Dlamini’s lawyer Mongezi Ntanga disputed this‚ saying Dlamini made an honest mistake about the test date.

Ntanga said Dlamini would not evade justice as he was a law student himself. He said Dlamini was a well-known public figure who would be recognised anywhere if he tried to skip the country.

Fellow student leaders crammed into the court to support Dlamini. A collective sigh of disappointment could be heard from the benches when the magistrate announced that a bail ruling will only be made on Wednesday.

“There is no sense of urgency from the magistrate. You can tell that when the magistrate postpones the case that he talks as if another night spent in jail is nothing‚” said Wits EFF acting chairperson Vuyani Pambo.

Former Wits SRC president Shaeera Kalla said in the video footage in possession of the state as evidence‚ showed that Dlamini was defending himself against the police.

“That camera is very clear that actually he was defending himself after the lawyers said to the police officers‚ ‘Why are you trying to arrest him?’ and they said‚ ‘No‚ we have no reason to arrest him’‚” Kalla said.

Meanwhile‚ outside court workers of the university picketed and sang as they held posters which read “Free our Mcebo now“.

His mother was also present in court briefly before leaving silently. — TMG Digital

 

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