The Free State National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, says the prosecutor enrolled the case against only 14 students. The case has been postponed till 17 April 2020 for further investigation. They are charged with public violence. He says the other three students were not charged as there was not enough evidence against them.

This after they were arrested earlier last week for protests at CUT’s Welkom Campus. The police spokesperson, Motantshi Makhele, said the students started protesting after an SRC member was suspended for allegedly submitting a fraudulent medical certificate. He added that they were throwing stones at security guards and the guards then fired rubber bullets at them. Makhele further said the police tried to intervene but students kept on throwing stones and did not allow cars to pass.

In total, 84 CUT students have been arrested since the beginning of this academic year. A total of 60 students were arrested at the Bloemfontein campus earlier last month. They were released on R1000 bail each by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. They will again appear on 31 March 2020 in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, another group of seven students were arrested following protests at the Welkom campus. They were all released by the Welkom Magistrate’s Court without bail. They will again appear on 21 April 2020 in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court.

OFM News