Bonginkosi Khanyile‚ an innocent African child: Malema

“Bonginkosi is going home today‚ whether they like it or not. He is out on bail‚” said Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) leader Julius Malema as he told his supporters that the detained student leader was granted bail on Wednesday.

“We want him in the presence of his children; we want him in the presence of his mother. We want him in the presence of his committee because that is where he belongs. He does not belong to the criminals because he is fighting for a just cause.

“When Bonginkosi was arrested‚ we said he would be released. You must never cry‚ babies‚” Malema said to loud cheers.

He was speaking outside the Constitutional Court where #FeesMustFall movement leader Bonginkosi Khanyile made an urgent application for his release following his failed attempts to get bail at the lower courts. He was granted bail on Wednesday after his legal team and the prosecution reached a settlement that was made an order of the Constitutional Court.

• Free at last: #FeesMustFall student activist gets bail after six months behind bars#FeesMustFall student activist Bonginkosi Khanyile is a free man after nearly six months behind bars. 

“When you join politics you must know that prison becomes your friend and when you are scared of prison‚ stay from politics… The highest price to be paid is death. We will not retreat even right in front of death‚ we shall tell the truth…

“The system will not give you roses when you fight it. The system will fight back and you must be determined to fight forward and never retreat.”

He said the EFF had gone to the Constitutional Court to defend “an innocent African child”.

• Student activist kept behind bars to 'set an example'Jailed student activist Bonginkosi Khanyile was held in custody for so long because he had to be made an example of. 

“We came to defend the jailing of an innocent African child. They [the state] even justified why he must be locked up without a trial.

“They came here and said all sorts of nonsense and as they were speaking and listened to themselves and realised they were talking nonsense and then they started offering‚” he said of the settlement.