The case of a 35-year-old man accused of inciting the violence that led to the looting and destruction of the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg has been postponed to next week.
The man was appearing in a local magistrate’s court for the first time after being arrested at the weekend.
During the application to have the matter heard in camera , the State argued that the identity parade had not yet been conducted.
According to police a total of eight suspects have since been arrested for instigating the unrest that left more than 300 people dead in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The media was denied permission to broadcast the court proceedings.
Alleged looting instigator Themba Mnisi granted R40 000 bail
On Monday, the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court granted alleged looting instigator Themba Mnisi R40 000 bail.
Mnisi is the regional organiser of the African National Congress (ANC) in Sedibeng. He is accused of similar charges. The state had opposed his bail application.
Meanwhile, a 36-year old woman will appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s court on similar charges.
SAHRC probe into the violence
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said earlier this month it was set to launch a National Investigative hearing into the July civil unrest.
The looting and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng left hundreds dead and resulted in mass human rights violations.
Video: CRL Rights Commission is concerned about the conflict in some parts of the country:
Most victims died in stampedes during the looting and shootings.
Damage to infrastructure and property amounted to billions of rands. It also had a devastating impact on the country’s economy with some businesses being unable to reopen.
In a statement, the commission said the role and effectiveness of the state particularly of police and the security cluster as a whole will come under scrutiny.
The commission will also investigate underlying reasons that contributed to the unrest, looting and violence.
It said its decision to probe these events was informed by an Imbizo it held in July in an effort to better understand and respond to the challenges brought by the unrest.
