Member of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and alleged July unrest instigator Bonginkosi Khanyile said no amount of threats, jail time, or revoked bail would instill fear in him. Khanyile is set to appear in court today after he was re-arrested for failing to appear in court for the start of his trial on Monday.

JULY UNREST

Khanyile faces charges of inciting public violence that led to deadly unrest in July 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng. Speaking behind a jail cell after his re-arrest, Khanyile said: "As I speak to you now, I'm back in jail since the court has revoked my bail, and my brothers came to see me and my lawyers. I would like to thank uMkhonto Wesizwe soldiers who came to support me and thank Bab'Nxamalala (Jacob Zuma) for the lawyer he assigned to deal with my case who will be in court with me for my next proceedings." He added: "Thank you very much, but I'm a very strong man; I'm a bull, a man that doesn't sleep. What we were doing during the July unrest, fighting for justice and for Bab'Nxamalala not to be unlawfully arrested, is what we are still fighting for; no amount of jail time or threats, sentencing, or revoked bail will remove us from what we stand for. I'm perfectly fine and have no problem as long as I'm alive."

HE DIDN'T PITCH FOR TRIAL

KZN National Prosecution Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara confirmed that the trial was supposed to start on Monday. "However, the accused failed to appear in court. The attorney on record for the accused did not know where the accused was. The matter stood down for some time, and upon resumption, there was still no appearance from the accused," Kara said.