Public violence case dropped against 12 UKZN Westville students
Reports indicate the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.
The public violence case against 12 Westville UKZN students, who were arrested outside the local campus on 24 February this year, was dropped at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday as there were ‘no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution’.
According to the UKZN Student Representative Council’s (SRC) secretary-general, Philani Mncwabe, the group of students were participating in a peaceful hunger strike at the entrance to the campus earlier this year.
The group was arrested by SAPS when they blocked the public’s access to the university.
The DPP KZN, Adv., Elaine Zungu, said, “After careful consideration of all the evidence, as well as the representations made by counsel for the accused, the Senior Public Prosecutor (SPP) decided to withdraw the charge of public violence which had been preferred against the accused. The reason for the withdrawal is no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution.”
UKZN’s acting executive director of corporate relations, Normah Zondo, said the university was aware of the decision taken by the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court to withdraw the charge of public violence.
“The university will study the judgment and apply its mind to the contents before making any comment,” said Zondo.
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