Over 500 people gathered outside the court in which the bail application of Max Ntanyana and Ncebe Sithole was heard. Residents of Khayelitsha and members of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign organise a protest to demand the unconditional release of the two labour and community activists. One of the organisers, Jack Green, told Indymedia South Africa that it was the intention of justice department to attempt to block the granting of bail for the ‘jailed comrades’ in order to try and sideline the voice of these important community leaders. Green also linked these arrests to what he called ‘the campaign of the state to destroy the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign and its leaders.’

Unfortunately, the protest and nation-wide condemnation of the arrests had little effect on the outcome of the bail application. Flying in the face of normal South African bail application proceedings, the presiding judge denied bail insuring that the activist would remain in prison and not able to continue their work in the Anti-Eviction Campaign. The court decision remains consistant with the state’s agenda for crushing dissent. This attitude towards protest was brutally expressed by the actions of the police outside the court. Inspite of a constitutional right to protest, the police used teargas and rubber bullets against unarmed protesters. As in many instances of police brutality over the last year, the attack came without warning or provocation.

The same strategy of marginalising leaders critical of the state was employed when an enormous bail was set for the three incarcerated leaders of the Soldiers Forum. In this case, bail was set at 3000 rand each, which is much higher than bail set for serious criminal offences.

www.antieviction.org.za