News / Local
Ramaphosa's police arrests MK leader using apartheid law
17 Aug 2024 at 21:04hrs | Views
Hawks members from KwaZulu-Natal Crime Against The State arrested former MK Party youth leader Bonginkosi Khanyile (34) on Friday 16 August 2024, for contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act and conspiracy to commit public violence which happened in Johannesburg in March this year.
It is alleged that Khanyile made a public announcement which was in contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act No 17 of 1956.
This Act was passed in response to the Congress of the People, held at Kliptown, near Johannesburg, in June 1955. Following a call from the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, the South African Coloured People's Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, some 3,000 people met with the purpose of adopting the Freedom Charter. The Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 was also used in the prosecution of the Treason Trial, the judicial outcome of the gathering having replaced Riotous Assemblies and Suppression of Communism Amendment Act, 1954.
The essence of Kanyile's announcement was to instigate the citizens of South Africa to protest and commit acts of violence all over the country should the political party of his choice not be on the ballot paper.
The announcement also had connotations that the citizens of the country must gather together and loot the country as previously done in July 2021.
A criminal case was reported at Brixton police station and Khanyile was arrested at Durban Magistrate's Court whilst he was appearing for the July 2021 matter.
He was released on bail and will re-appear in the same court on 23 September 2024 for both cases.
During a press briefing which was held in Johannesburg in March this year, Khanyile threatened "to declare war" if the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) removed former president Jacob Zuma from the ballot.
"If they remove MK and remove Zuma as the face of the campaign, there won’t be elections in South Africa," he said at the time.
It is alleged that Khanyile made a public announcement which was in contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act No 17 of 1956.
This Act was passed in response to the Congress of the People, held at Kliptown, near Johannesburg, in June 1955. Following a call from the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, the South African Coloured People's Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, some 3,000 people met with the purpose of adopting the Freedom Charter. The Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 was also used in the prosecution of the Treason Trial, the judicial outcome of the gathering having replaced Riotous Assemblies and Suppression of Communism Amendment Act, 1954.
The essence of Kanyile's announcement was to instigate the citizens of South Africa to protest and commit acts of violence all over the country should the political party of his choice not be on the ballot paper.
A criminal case was reported at Brixton police station and Khanyile was arrested at Durban Magistrate's Court whilst he was appearing for the July 2021 matter.
He was released on bail and will re-appear in the same court on 23 September 2024 for both cases.
During a press briefing which was held in Johannesburg in March this year, Khanyile threatened "to declare war" if the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) removed former president Jacob Zuma from the ballot.
"If they remove MK and remove Zuma as the face of the campaign, there won’t be elections in South Africa," he said at the time.
Source - online
