EFF Mpumalanga leader Collen Sedibe and the party's provincial organiser Cyril Chuene have been released on bail after they were arrested for inciting the public to illegally occupy land.
They were arrested on Sunday after scores of people, mostly middle class residing close to Mbombela, forcefully occupied land belonging to the Mbombela municipality in Hillsview near White River.
The arrest come after Sedibe wrote on his Facebook page that "while the ANC celebrates its 105 birthday on Sunday people who need to stay close to town must allow the EFF to lead them to Hillsview".
The posting led to police waiting on the land until the people arrived and the two were arrested.
They were not asked to plead to charges of incitement of public violence, trespassing and illegal gathering when they appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court yesterday.
A handful of EFF members filled the court and some were singing outside while their leaders appeared.
They took a break when the state was checking if the two had outstanding cases, including the case where Sedibe was arrested at Umbhaba Estate, a banana farm near Komatipoort.
But it was discovered that that case was withdrawn and the state prosecutor stopped opposing their bail.
They were each released on R500 bail and the case was postponed to February 20.
They were given a warning that should they be found committing the same crime or interfering with the investigation, then the bail would be revoked.
EFF provincial treasure Sabelo Nkambule told Sowetan they knew that their leader would be arrested.
"This is one way the ANC is trying to scare us, they failed the people by not giving them land. So now that people want to take their land. they order arrests of our leaders.
We are also aware the police told our leaders that the instruction came from above so we know what they meant, the poor police who are being used."
Police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi denied that they were sent to arrest EFF leaders.
"As the police we are not told by politicians who to arrest," Hlathi said.
"When people occupy someone's land it is a crime and calling on people to do so is a crime too, so our job is to protect everyone here."
EFF leaders given bail for inciting land grab
EFF Mpumalanga leader Collen Sedibe and the party's provincial organiser Cyril Chuene have been released on bail after they were arrested for inciting the public to illegally occupy land.
They were arrested on Sunday after scores of people, mostly middle class residing close to Mbombela, forcefully occupied land belonging to the Mbombela municipality in Hillsview near White River.
The arrest come after Sedibe wrote on his Facebook page that "while the ANC celebrates its 105 birthday on Sunday people who need to stay close to town must allow the EFF to lead them to Hillsview".
The posting led to police waiting on the land until the people arrived and the two were arrested.
They were not asked to plead to charges of incitement of public violence, trespassing and illegal gathering when they appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court yesterday.
A handful of EFF members filled the court and some were singing outside while their leaders appeared.
They took a break when the state was checking if the two had outstanding cases, including the case where Sedibe was arrested at Umbhaba Estate, a banana farm near Komatipoort.
But it was discovered that that case was withdrawn and the state prosecutor stopped opposing their bail.
They were each released on R500 bail and the case was postponed to February 20.
They were given a warning that should they be found committing the same crime or interfering with the investigation, then the bail would be revoked.
EFF provincial treasure Sabelo Nkambule told Sowetan they knew that their leader would be arrested.
"This is one way the ANC is trying to scare us, they failed the people by not giving them land. So now that people want to take their land. they order arrests of our leaders.
We are also aware the police told our leaders that the instruction came from above so we know what they meant, the poor police who are being used."
Police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi denied that they were sent to arrest EFF leaders.
"As the police we are not told by politicians who to arrest," Hlathi said.
"When people occupy someone's land it is a crime and calling on people to do so is a crime too, so our job is to protect everyone here."