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Judgment in #FeesMustFall activist’s appeal set for Monday

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Judgment in the bail application of #FeesMustFall activist Khanya Cekeshe as well as his application for leave to appeal his conviction will be handed down on Monday next week in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

Cekeshe was sentenced to eight-years in prison in 2017, with three years suspended after pleading guilty to burning a police van at the height of the #FeesMustFall protests in 2016.

Cekeshe’s new legal team led by Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi believes that his previous legal team misled him and that he should not have pleaded guilty, arguing that the state had no evidence of any wrongdoing against him.

Khanya Cekeshe will have to spend a few more nights behind bars before judgment on both his applications is handed down. Earlier, Cekeshe’s lawyer Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi argued that the state had no evidence of any wrongdoing against Cekeshe and if he had pleaded not guilty he would have won his case.

Ngcukaitobi told the court that the student activist was misled by his previous attorney who gave him poor advice, thus resulting in his incarceration.

However, the state has opposed Cekeshe’s application for bail as well as for leave to appeal his conviction, saying that Cekeshe willingly admitted to his crimes.

Family of Kanya Cekeshe says he’s been battling to cope since his incarceration in 2017.

Cekeshe’s mother, Takazi says her son has been battling with health issues.

“He tries to come across as a strong person. That’s how Kanya is because I think he doesn’t really want us to see that it’s actually tough in there. He is really not coping. He has been sick. I don’t know how many times. Two weeks ago he was extremely sick. That alone shows that he is really not coping where he is. He was hoping that he will be released today, you know. Now that we have been given Monday, I guess he has to hold on to that hope. What other choice does he have?” asks Takazi

Meanwhile, members from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) student command came out in their numbers and staged a picket outside court in support of Cekeshe.

Watch the video below for more on the story:

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