Tears flow as 13 appear in court after Fort Hare University rampage

Emotions ran high in the Dikeni magistrate’s court on Tuesday when one of the 13 people accused of being behind Sunday’s looting and burning rampage at the University of Fort Hare’s Dikeni campus wailed uncontrollably moments before the start of proceedings. 

The accused made a brief appearance before magistrate Mhlanga Bala on Tuesday, telling the court they had no previous convictions or pending cases.

On Sunday, protesters caused damage running into millions of rand when they set fire to the university’s indoor sports centre foyer, looted food from the cafeteria and smashed windows at a computer laboratory.

The accused, who face charges of malicious damage to property and theft, are:

• Mmiselo Mthonjeni, 25, from Mandela Park in Mthatha;
• Sifiso Gogi from Haven Hills in East London;
• Ntokozo Mandara, 22, from Mdakeni village in Lusikisiki;
• Mafuza Ningi, 18, from Upper Ncerha village in Dikeni;
• Noluyolo Madikizela, 20, from Mpetsheni village in Mbizana;
• Sabatha Qumbisa, 19, of Izingolweni village in Port Shepstone;
• Enam Gift Ntlonti, 22, Ngxoji village,
• Shalomn Euseni, 21, from Zimbabwe;
• Khanya Poswa, 22, from Tyhali 1 in Dikeni;
• Aseza Cingo, 24, from Ngobozana village in Port St Johns;
• Siphe Dike, 22, of Upper Gqumashe;
• Sinovuyo Ngqhangi, 19, from Lower Mjika in Tsolo; and
• Asiphile Tshwati, 22, from Tshwati village in Dutywa.

Twelve of the accused elected to be represented by Legal Aid South Africa.

The state asked for a postponement to obtain profiles of the accused and for the formal bail application.

Before proceedings started, three women sat in the dock, hiding their faces with hoods and occasionally wiping away tears.

Euseni, who will be represented by a private attorney, was comforted by relatives moments before proceedings started after breaking down in court.

Students' representative council members and relatives of the accused sat in court during the appearance. They would not comment when approached outside court.

Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana said the investigation was ongoing. “At this stage I can’t say who is who in terms of whether they are studying. All we know is the suspects who have been arrested within the institution,” Kinana said.

“We received a report from police and we gathered staff from the university had rounded them up and taken them to the police station. All we know from the police perspective is that crime has been committed. We are investigating.”

The Dispatch reported on Tuesday students had been unhappy about a congested examination timetable and had gathered on the Dikeni campus for a mass meeting on Sunday. At the meeting, they decided on the protest action that culminated in the destruction of university property.

University spokesperson JP Roodt had not responded at the time of writing.

On Monday, he said the university would launch its own investigations to track down those behind the violent protest action. Roodt said the university would, among other methods, analyse social media posts to help identify instigators and organisers. 

The accused will be back in the dock on June 8.

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