#FeesMustFall activist Bongikosi Khanyile to petition Concourt for bail

The longest-held #FeesMustFall student in detention‚ Bonginkosi Khanyile‚ will be petitioning the highest court in the land to grant him bail.

Khanyile’s legal team are preparing documents to petition the Constitutional Court to grant bail to the student‚ who has been imprisoned for 119 days‚ after an appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed.

Khanyile has been at Westville Prison since his arrest on September 27 last year during protests at the Durban University of Technology.

The final-year Durban University of Technology public administration student has been denied bail by the Durban Magistrate’s Court and the Pietermaritzburg High Court on three previous occasions and is believed to be the only #FeesMustFall student still behind bars.

Khanyile is facing eight charges‚ including public violence‚ illegal gathering and inciting violence. He was denied bail because he had committed a similar offence while out on bail for charges levelled against him in February.

Khanyile’s attorney‚ Nhlakanipho Nxumalo told The Times on Tuesday: “We intend to file papers by the end of the week. Should we fail at the constitutional court‚ we shall look at other avenues available.

“We are approaching the constitutional court in respect of the bail on constitutional grounds. His right to freedom is being infringed by his incarceration which is unlawful and has no basis‚” said Nxumalo.