Three men, charged with public violence, appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court on Monday. Sphelele Magolide Shinga and Malizo Dzanibe were released on R1,000 bail, while Wandile Nsimande, a parolee, was remanded in police custody. The men were arrested outside the Home Affairs Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Saturday, following a week-long protest against anti-immigration and a recent Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers' applications.
The protest, allegedly affiliated with the March and March Movement, shut down the Home Affairs refugee centre, preventing foreign nationals from neighbouring African countries from entering. According to Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the men were arrested for allegedly threatening to shut down Moses Mabhida Stadium to prevent the MTN8 Cup Final match between Orlando Pirates FC and Mamelodi Sundowns from taking place on Saturday, October 10.
The match proceeded without any violence outside the stadium. Police alleged that one of the suspects had gathered a group of people on Saturday at King Dinizulu Park in Durban with the aim of staging a march. Senior Prosecutor Roshiela Benimadho said Nsimande was out on parole, having been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment previously for robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
Nsimande also has a pending case of assault in Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal. Benimadho said the state was still verifying previous criminal cases of Shinga and Dzanibe, as well as the three accused's addresses. The state was opposed to bail, with Shinga facing charges of inciting public violence. Nsimande and Dzanibe appeared on charges of public violence, contravening the Road Traffic Act, carrying a dangerous weapon, and failure to comply with police instructions.
Magistrate Scelo Zuma rolled over the proceedings until Tuesday. Outside the Durban Magistrates Court, Public Order Police were out in numbers monitoring the court situation on Monday. The court heard that the protest was part of a larger week-long demonstration against anti-immigration and the recent Constitutional Court ruling.
Earlier in the week, 14 vehicles were torched on Dr Pixley Ka Seme Street, formerly West Street, when protestors allegedly clashed with foreign nationals. The situation in Durban remains tense, with authorities working to maintain public order. The March and March Movement's involvement in the protest has raised concerns about the potential for further violence.
The case has been postponed to Tuesday, with the accused set to appear again in court. The outcome of the case and the potential consequences for the accused will be closely watched, both locally and nationally.
Key points
- Two men, Sphelele Magolide Shinga and Malizo Dzanibe, were released on R1,000 bail.
- Wandile Nsimande, a parolee, was remanded in police custody.
- The protest was allegedly affiliated with the March and March Movement.
