UFH students who miss court date to be arrested

A MAGISTRATE has ordered the arrest of four University of Fort Hare students for failing to appear in court on public violence charges.

East London Regional Court magistrate Deon Rossouw on Friday asked police to arrest Khwezilomso Gama, 21, Zingisa Sogoni, 21, Jason O’hare, 21, and Thulile Rubushe, 22, for skipping a court session.

They were arrested in October last year along with 28 other students after setting fire to road traffic management tools to block the Fleet Street in Quigney during a protest over a proposed 8% fee increase, lack of transport between residences and lack of security on campus.

During the mayhem near the unive Lwandle Residence at the corner of Station Street and Fleet Street, motorists and pedestrians were pelted with stones.

Rossouw addressing the 28 other students who were in attendance stressed the importance of attending court and issued a stern warning saying anyone who was in default would be arrested and kept in prison until the matter was finalised.

“If attending court reflects negatively on your academic records it is not my problem. You need to be in court each time you are warned to appear, irrespective of whether you are writing your test. You will have to reschedule your test,” Rossouw said.

He also had stern words for two students who arrived late.

“Next time you will appear in this court having woken up from a police cell. Do not laugh, this is not funny.”

State prosecutor Thando Feni told the court the state was ready to proceed with trial and the students' lawyer Advocate Pakamani Gasela rose to say the defence was also trialready.

A date was set and the trial will run from February 5 to February 16 next year. —