Durban Magistrate Court withdraws charges against DUT SRC President

Nhlanhla Mabaso

The Durban magistrate court has withdrawn charges against the President of the EFF led SRC Sesiyanda Godlimpi, of the Durban University of Technology (DUT) this morning. Godlimpi was arrested on the 22 of February 2019 at Steve Biko campus with his fellow comrade or colleague Siyanda Lukhilimba. He says he was arrested for being involved in a protest to demand the unblocking of B-tech registrations at the university and that students should be given accommodation.

The case was a bit complicating and confusing if one could refer to it like that. Godlimpi said he was arrested and charged with violent protesting and illegal gathering. “They said I was causing chaos, they arrested me and kept me at the Berea police station in town from about 14:00pm until I was released at 23:00pm on a R1000 bail”.

Although Godlimpi told me that he was appearing for the charges mentioned above, a charge sheet from the Magistrate Court came out with different charges. It read “Assaulted the DUT security guards by throwing bricks at them and damaging the window frames of the sports centre by stones.”

He denied the allegations “I cannot as a president do such acts.” Just shortly before he could access court Godlimpi showed me that his name alongside that of his co accused colleague appear on the list as people who are still kept in custody although they were out on bail. The two didn’t even spend 5 minutes in the dock, their charges were withdrawn by the Magistrate.