Change the world

13/10/2016

This article appeared in The Herald of 13 October 2016

Athenkosi Daniso, 22, was arrested while at court to show support for nine other students who were arrested last month outside the Boardwalk after they tried to storm the complex during a #FeesMustFall protest.

The case against the nine was postponed to October 26.

The nine students were arrested in connection with contravening the National Road Traffic Act and public disturbance.

One of them faces an additional charge of obstructing police.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said Daniso was identified from footage taken during the protests.

A STUDENT was arrested outside the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court yesterday after video footage allegedly showed him burning a tyre during a protest at NMMU last week.

“He was arrested after he was picked up on video footage where he was seen burning a tyre on a road,” she said.

Daniso was arrested on charges of damage to infrastructure under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act.

NMMU Student Representative Council president Nicholas Nyati, who was at court in the morning, urged students to not take part in illegal activities.

“As the SRC we do not condone students partaking in illegal activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, NMMU spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela said an independent mediator had been appointed by the university and negotiation processes were under way.

This comes after a group of concerned parents resorted to the Grahamstown High Court in a bid to force NMMU to resume its academic activities.

An agreement was reached, requiring NMMU to employ the services of an independent mediator to engage all stakeholders to try and resolve the impasse.

Devon Koen koend@timesmedia.co.za