3-year-old Go George case struck of the roll
Three years after the violent anti-GO GEORGE protest which saw four buses set alight and property destroyed, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has decided to drop the case against the 16 suspects arrested in connection with this incident.
The George taxi industry were protesting against the introduction of GO GEORGE buses in Thembalethu.
During the protest on 19 August 2015, George resembled a war zone as roads were barricaded, GO GEORGE buses set alight, and CCTV cameras and police vehicles damaged.
The perpetrators who burnt four GO GEORGE buses and damaged two others were believed to be taxi drivers employed by members of the George taxi industry. The violence resulted in damage amounting to R15-million.
Eleven taxi drivers were arrested on the day and charged with intimidation and public violence. Four others were arrested later. Following this incident, taxi operating licences were suspended.
The case first dragged as a result of bail applications.
Five men were eventually granted bail of R1 000 each on 17 September 2015 in the George Magistrate's Court. The remaining men were granted bail in June 2016 after spending more than seven months in custody. Since then, the case has been postponed a number of times as the state and investigation officer gathered information to begin with the trial.
On 6 April 2017, George Herald reported that the state is looking for a key suspect who is linked to the actual burning of the buses.
State prosecutor Herman Steyn said at the time the person is seen in the CCTV footage pouring something on the bus and setting it alight. "He is in hiding and reports tell us that he is travelling from one city to the next, making it difficult for us to catch him."
On 11 April 2017 the alleged key suspect, Asanda Komzi (35), was arrested.
The 15 men appeared again in the George Magistrate's Court on Friday 30 June that year and Komzi was added as the 16th suspect.
When asked for reasons why the case was struck off the roll on 3 August this year, NPA regional communications manager Eric Ntabazalila simply said, "The State declined to prosecute as there were no prospects of a successful prosecution."
One of the taxi drivers who were arrested, Xolani Ludziya, said he is very happy that their names have finally been cleared.
"After three years of wasting over two hundred thousand in legal fees for something we haven't done, we are relieved that this matter is behind us. We have been wrongly prosecuted for something we haven't done. I hope people can change their mindset about us and see that we are not criminals," said Ludziya.
Commenting on this, George municipal spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose said, "The contracting authority will be in a position to comment on the matter as soon as all the information, including the reasons for the NPA's decision, have been made available."