Four officers from the public order policing unit appeared in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday in connection with the death of Mthokozisi Ntumba on March 10. The accused were in court to make a formal bail application.
Ntumba died when police fired rubber bullets at protesting Wits University students. He was shot while leaving a clinic in Braamfontein.
The four accused are facing charges of murder, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice.
The four defence lawyers read out the four affidavits of the accused, arguing that they should be granted bail. The affidavits included arguments such as the accused not being flight risks.
The state argued against bail, saying it was not in the interests of the public. The prosecutor said releasing the accused might spark wider and harsher student protests around SA.
The matter has been postponed until March 26 for judgment.
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