After being denied bail twice, Abahlali deputy president Mqapheli Bonono and one of his co-accused Maphiwe Gasela were released on bail by the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 20 May.
Addressing the Abahlali members outside court, the very emotional Bonono thanked Abahlali and comrades around the world for the support received during this difficult time. He said he has learnt during his time in prison how the system of oppression works, and that seeing another side of the cruelty of the system has encouraged him even more to fight for justice and dignity for all. Bonono was arrested on 4 May alongside another accused, Siniko Miya on charges of conspiracy to murder and intimidation of state witnesses in a murder case which is still in court. Gasela, who was in hospital on the day of the arrest, handed herself to the police after being informed she was wanted by the police on the same case. Sbu Zikode, president of Abahlali said, “There was much to celebrate in Durban on Thursday when our deputy president, Mqapheli Bonono and Maphiwe Gasela, the secretary of the eKhenana branch, were given bail and, amid scenes of great collective jubilation, returned to freedom, their families and comrades.”
He said on the date of the leaders’ release, more than 500 members of our movement took time off from work, braved the sun and sacrificed time with their families to spend eight hours outside the court to show support for their comrades who had been imprisoned on false charges. “Many of the people who spent the day outside of the court were there for the third time, and some had travelled long distances to be at the court. Bonono had been held for 16 days before finally being released on bail. Comrade Gasela was separated from her seriously unwell baby while she was in prison,” Zikode added He said it was however, unfortunate that Siniko Miya was denied bail and remains in prison because of an outstanding case that he is attending in court. “This case dates back to before he joined the eKhenena Occupation and our movement. As we have noted Miya was not at the open meeting where the state, farcically, claims that Bonono, Gasela and Miya publicly conspired to have a person murdered. We assume that the only reason why he was arrested in this crackdown on our movement is because he has a prior case open and it was thought that this would delegitimate the other accused in the eyes of the public.” Mqapheli, Gasela and Miya will be back in court on 16 July.
