Students released after brief appearance in court

Video

MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - South Cape College students protested in front of the Mossel Bay Magistrate's Court this morning following the arrest of three fellow students on the Mossel Bay campus yesterday.

Mossel Bay police and members of the Public Order Police Unit arrested the three students on charges of malicious damage to property and public violence.

This morning, hundreds of unhappy students gathered in front of the court building to support the three suspects. The suspects made a brief appearance in Court C and were released thereafter.

The students then marched back to the campus grounds in Essenhout Street.

Watch a video below

Students are unhappy about bursaries that have not yet been paid out. This follows three days of protest action by the students on the Mossel Bay campus.

Meanwhile, South Cape College principal, Elsie Potgieter, released a statement to the media in which she says an agreement has been reached between the management of the South Cape College and student representatives.

According to the agreement, an interim payment was paid on Friday, 21 February, to students who meet certain requirements. A list of queries regarding incorrect ID numbers were sent to the campus.

Potgieter said the second payment would be made, as scheduled, on 5 March. However, frustrated students told the Mossel Bay Advertiser in front of the court building this morning that they cannot pay their landlords, that they do not have money for transport or textbooks and that they cannot buy food or toiletries.

“We will continue to strike until we get our payments. Some of us live as far as Port Elizabeth and East London. We don’t have family here and we are afraid of losing our homes if we do not get our money.”

The three students who have appeared in court were released on free bail and will be back in court on 27 March.

Hundreds of unhappy students gathered in front of the court building to support the three suspects.