Judgment postponed in case against Brookside Mall 'instigator'

17 August 2023 - 11:17
By MFUNDO MKHIZE
The Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg was among retail centres targeted by protesters in July 2021. File photo.
Image: Twitter The Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg was among retail centres targeted by protesters in July 2021. File photo.

The case involving a KwaZulu-Natal man charged with instigating the July 2021 unrest at Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg has been postponed to next month. 

The city's regional court magistrate, M Cannon, on Thursday adjourned the matter against Mdumiseni Khetha Zuma, 35, to September 8 as he is not ready to deliver judgment. 

Zuma was nabbed at the nearby Jika Joe informal settlement after being on the run.

He faces two charges of contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act, including inciting public violence and arson.

Zuma maintains his innocence despite the state being in possession of a video “proving” he committed the offences.

He worked at the mall until relations allegedly soured with his employer, leading to him being axed.

Before the violence, Zuma was employed by Cambridge Butchery in the city for three months.

TimesLIVE