Alleged Unrest Instigator Bonginkosi Khanyile to Stand Trial in August: "Waste of Time"

• Alleged unrest instigator and Fees Must Fall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile will be tried in the Durban Regional Court later this year
• The court heard that Khanyile is facing charges relating to Covid-19 health violations and inciting violence amid the unrest in July
• South Africans on social media were unmoved by the pending trial, with several voices citing that trying Khanyile was a waste of time

DUBAN - The trial of Wits University Fees Must Fall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile is set to take place in the Durban Regional Court in August this year.

Khanyile is accused of flouting Covid-19 health and safety protocols as well as inciting public violence amid widespread looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July.

At the time of the unrest, Khanyile, appearing in court on Tuesday following a pre-trial conference, is said to have called on a group of people in Durban to show their support to former president Jacob Zuma, who, at the time, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court.

Read also

Azapo members sing 'Shoot the Boer' in court amid EFF, AfriForum case: "Disturbing"

SABC News reported that Khanyile will enter into a not guilty plea, with the trial set for anywhere between 15 and 26 August. The State will be heavily dependent on three clips that show Khanyile addressing people at various public gatherings and the testimony of 10 witnesses in an attempt to prove its case against the 31-year-old.

Khanyile was granted R5 000 bail and ordered to be released from police custody in the same court in September last year, having been arrested in Johannesburg on 20 August, News24 reported.

After the proceedings, Khanyile told the media gathered outside the court that the State was wasting his time and harassing him for something he did not do, adding the case against him was thin.

Read also

AfriForum, EFF clash in court over controversial 'Shoot the Boer' song: "No retreat"

Locals air mixed views

On social media, South Africans were a little bit less sympathetic to his supposed harassment by the State and argued that Khanyile had made his bed and should duly lie in it. Briefly News takes a look at some of the spicy reactions below.

@Mduduzi Khanyile wrote:

"Did the panel of experts report about July unrest says anything about ethic Mobilization or instigators?"

@Hluphinhliziyo Mbhele said:

"Mfana omncane busy wasting his time over the dead wood."

@Eugene Bailey added:

"Another example of postponing court cases. This is pathetic!!!"

WSU student guilty of stealing R818k in NSFAS funds

Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student at the centre of the R14 million National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) debacle was found guilty of theft in the East London Regional Court.

In 2017, the student financial aid scheme mistakenly deposited the large sum of money into Sibongile Mani's account, of which she spent close to R820 000 in just over 70 days, EWN reported.

On Monday, the court disregarded the former accounting student's explanation that she did not intend to deny NSFAS its money, among the evidence presented by the state, having been eligible to receive a fixed monthly food allowance of R1 400.

Source: Briefly News