Chikane condemns charges against students
Frank Chikane has called for the charges against his son, who stormed the gates of Parliament, to be withdrawn.
|||Cape Town - Struggle hero Frank Chikane has called for the charges against his son and 28 others who stormed the gates of Parliament last year to be withdrawn.
The 29 accused – mostly UCT students who supported the #FeesMustFall campaign – appeared in the Cape Town magistrate’s court on Tuesday. The accused are charged with public violence and attending an illegal gathering after they stormed the gates of Parliament, prompting clashes with riot police.
Six of the accused had been labelled “The Bellville Six” and initially faced charges of high treason for breaching a National Key Point, but these charges were dropped and changed to public violence and attending an illegal gathering.
The “Bellville Six” include ANC stalwart Chikane’s son Kgotsi Chikane, UCT vice-chancellor Max Price’s son, Ilan Price, Nyakallo Makgoba, who is the son of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, and prominent student activist Chumani Maxwele, who spurred the RhodesMustFall campaign and the eventual removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statue from UCT last year.
Chikane said he was there to support all the students, but also his son Kgotsi.
“I think the students had a legitimate protest. I think the case should be withdrawn,” Chikane said.
He said he was particularly proud of his son, but condemned the way he was “brutally” arrested. “He was badly hurt after his arrest.”
Advocate Mustaque Holland, who is representing 10 of the accused, said: “The legal representatives of the other accused have decided to submit representations for withdrawal of all the charges on humanitarian grounds, as the National Association of Democratic Lawyers legal team have done.”
As court proceedings drew to a close, State prosecutor Dale Andrews ordered that one of the accused, Lindsay Maasdorp, be charged with intimidation. Andrews said Maasdorp had pointed at him and said: “I’m going to get you”, before he left the courtroom.
The matter was postponed until March 30.
Cape Times