MBOMBELA – Criminal charges against 16 protesters who had been arrested in April, were withdrawn when they appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court last week.
They were arrested during two separate incidents last month. The first mass action was held on April 10 when more than 50 women blocked Samora Machel Drive to protest against violent crime against females. They complained that many women had been assaulted and raped in the overgrown thicket between Brenda Street and Samora Machel Drive. Police arrived and arrested eight women. They appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court where they were charged with illegally gathering in a public place without obtaining prior permission.
On April 20 eight private-sector security guards, who were formerly in the employ of the province, led hundreds of colleagues in a march to Mbombela’s SAPS. They were protesting the fact that the Mpumalanga Government had hired new companies to provide security at various governmental departments across the province. They complained that more than 1 000 guards had been left without income as a result. Eight of the protesters were arrested and charged with organising an unlawful gathering. On Tuesday it was confirmed that both cases had been resolved by means of mediation on May 21. The charges against them were dropped on the same day.
