All 150 protestors that were arrested in the Northern Cape on Monday during the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s national shutdown, have been released on warning.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says the majority of the protestors were released on Monday, however the few who remained in custody including the provincial EFF Treasurer, Jacque Botman were released on Wednesday.
The protestors participated in the shutdown that was calling for the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an end to rolling blackouts.
EFF provincial chairperson, Shadrack Tlhaole expressed frustration with the justice system which delayed the release of the protestors.
“The frustration is with regards to the staff, there is a lack of staff, there are no magistrates. You can see the plan is to frustrate us. This has also given us an opportunity to see all the gaps in the justice system. For example, in Jan Kempdorp where our Treasurer has been detained, the magistrate is not there, the prosecutor is not there. We are still trying to find out what best mechanisms can we put in place to address this challenge,” explains Tlhaole.
