Former activist Bonginkosi Khanyile tells court 2021 riots were unrelated to calls for Zuma’s release

Alleged July unrest instigator Bonginkosi Khanyile has told the Durban High Court that the 2021 riots had nothing to do with his calls for Jacob Zuma’s release from prison.
The former Fees Must Fall activist is charged with incitement to commit public violence and the contravention of the Disaster Management Act linked to the unrest. Khanyile was testifying in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court today.

Khanyile was arrested for his alleged links to the July unrest in 2021. He was nabbed in Gauteng in 2022 where he was pursuing his legal studies. At the time, the Hawks rounded up nearly 70 other suspects linked to the violence in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The state believes Khanyile was part of a group who encouraged the widespread looting. Prosecutors have presented video footage of Khanyile mobilising support for former President Jacob Zuma's release from prison. At the time, Zuma was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to appear before the Zondo Commission, which was mandated to probe state capture.

Prosecutor Advocate Yuri Gangai told the court that Khanyile used his influence to spread anarchy. During his testimony today, Khanyile said the looting was different from what he was calling for.

“No, there is no one who would argue and say, ‘Khanyile, because of seeing you speaking at Shoprite and the taxi rank, then I went to a mall, took a refrigerator, burnt a warehouse or West Street’—none or whatsoever.”

He says the chaos came as a surprise.

“In fact, that thing shocked most of, if not all of us—I’ve never predicted it in my life that it would happen.”

The trial continues.