Africa-Press – South-Africa. Two University of Cape Town (UCT) students arrested during protests were granted bail during a court appearance on Monday morning.
Moyani Mabavhana and Siphamandla Njenxa appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of public violence, and contravening a court order.
They were granted bail of R1 000 each.
Mabavhana and Njenxa were arrested last week after protests at the university forced the police to intervene.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said their case was postponed to 21 April for further investigation.
Last week, protests escalated after the university maintained its position it would not be scrapping its fee blocks.
Its executive and the Student Representative Council (SRC) have been at odds over a proposal tabled during a council meeting last Monday for the university to “lift” fee blocks as a blanket concession.
Students disrupted lectures and entered Kramer Law lecture rooms before Public Order Police intervened following a court interdict obtained by the university.
According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, protesting students pelted police with metal drum lids, stones, and other objects.
Mabavhana and Njenxa appeared in court last Friday but were denied bail.
SRC members were present during Mabavhana and Njenxa’s trial.
According to it, both were “wrongfully detained”.
The SRC and students have condemned the presence of police at the university.
Meanwhile, the UCT council held its plenary meeting on Saturday on the “major concern about events that unfolded on campus”.
Council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama said: “Council is extremely concerned about the well-being of the entire UCT community, particularly our staff and students. We note the protests of last week and the disruptions on parts of the UCT campus.”
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