FILE PHOTO: Former Ukhozi FM DJ Ngizwe Mchunu appears at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court for allegedly instigating violence during last week’s unrest and looting that rocked KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng. PICTURE: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)
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0 JOHANNESBURG: Former Ukhozi FM dj appeared at the Randburg Magistrate Court as one of the alleged ‘instigators’ of Gauteng and KZN ongoing riots.
Mchunu was arrested after he handed himself to the police in Durban arrested on Monday [19, July 2021] when a warrant of his arrest was issued. The DJ was denied bail and remanded in custody after his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of inciting public violence.
Staunch support for former president Jacob Zuma, Mchunu shared videos via his popular Facebook page and called people to flock on Nkandla to defend Mr Zuma as the state wanted to ‘poison’ him once he was in jail.
This came before the night Mr Zuma handed himself to start serving his sentence on 8, July. When Mr Zuma was arrested, the DJ toured around KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng appearing on various interviews opposing the former president’s arrest.
Acting Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni on Tuesday’s media briefing expressed with no further details that twelve suspects have been identified. She added that apart from the five suspects arrested and had appeared before the court as one of the main alleged ‘instigators’ of this past few week’s looting and violence.
“The South African Police Service are undertaking home searches to recover stolen items. This campaign is bearing fruits because a number of items have been recovered and these will be used as evidence when the suspects appear in court for counts of theft and looting,” said Ms Ntshavheni at the briefing
According to the National Prosecution Authorities (NPA) some of the 200 suspects arrested for looting and public violence had been released on bail while others remained in custody for further investigation. Mchunu will remain behind bars after his case was postponed to the 28th of July 2021.
Speaking on behalf of the Mchunu family, a Fees Must Fall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile said that the family is absolutely saddened by the court’s decision, for thinking he is a flight risk therefore he should remain in custody.
“We are very down founded by the court’s decision… How the court has dealt with the matter and if the court will continue to deal with them in this manner, we are very worried about whether justice is going to be served.
“It is very wrong of the government when people are looting malls and streets then blame it on individuals, Ngizwe is not a flight risk, how can someone be a flight risk while they are the ones that handed themselves to the police after hearing that the police are looking for them?” said Khanyile on a live television interview
The former Ukhozi FM presenter will appear again on 28 July 2021 at the Randburg Magistrate Court for further court proceedings.
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