March and March leader disputes public violence charges, lays counter-case against SAPS
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma handed herself to the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Tuesday morning.
Dozens of supporters braved the Durban heat to show support for their leader with demonstrations outside the Point Police Station.
Leader Ngobese-Zuma denied the allegations of public violence preferred against her and instead opened counter-charges against the police.
The charges stem from a protest staged by the anti-migrant group outside Addington Primary School on January 21.
In a series of protests that began at the start of the school year, the group has called for prioritisation of South African pupils at the school.
Children who were not placed at the school were also present as the group protested.
Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, chairperson of the education and health subcommittee for the African National Congress (ANC) in KZN, said the school was made up of 63% of South African pupils.
“If there are issues to be handled, let it not be in areas where there is learning and teaching to disturb.
“The school is currently at full capacity with 1,548 learners. Of those, 968 are South African citizens,” he said.
Ngobese-Zuma said the group was very confused and couldn’t figure out exactly what they were charged for.
“Why didn’t they charge us on the day? There were plenty of police officers,” she said after coming out of the station.
She claimed that she and her legal team asked for clarification from the investigative officer, but that there was ”nothing there”.
“It is the State that opened the case against the March and March Movement,” said her legal representative and husband, Xolani Zuma.
She claimed that the State had no evidence to back up the charges.
@iolnews Supporters of the March and March Movement blocked the road outside Durban’s Point Police Station, protesting charges against their leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma for allegedly inciting violence. https://iol.co.za/ 📷: Xolile Mtembu / IOL #MarchforMarch #JacintaNgobeseZuma #policestation #Durban ♬ original sound – IOL NEWS
“We also decided to open cases against the State.
“On the day that they allege we were violent, there was a foreign national who took out a gun on one of our members,” she said.
Ngobese-Zuma revealed that she had laid charges of intimidation against the State.
“The police were extreme when it came to dealing with the crowd, throwing out hand grenades and chemicals with water,” she claimed.
The State has also allegedly opened a case against the uMkhotho WeSizwe Party (MKP) and Operation Dudula.
Representing MKP, the deputy provincial secretary, Shirley Willemse told IOL that they had not received information the police.
“We don’t know anything about the charge. We have just been seeing media headlines. However, we don’t know anything about the charge,” she said.
IOL has reached out to police for comment.
IOL News