Lukhanyo “Bhanda” Mtshingana appeared briefly in court on charges participating in an illegal protest and contravening a court order.

The case against Mtshingana was postponed to November 8, for the matter to be referred to the regional Court prosecutor.

Mtshingana, regarded as a leader in the student movement, was arrested on Thursday as he made his way from Pietermaritzburg back to Durban.

The student’s appearance comes a little more than a year after he was arrested on charges of arson, malicious damage to property, public violence and contravening a court order.

Mtshingana was arrested last year September after the university’s administration building was set alight causing damage estimated at more than R30 million.

He was released on bail on October 23, after spending 31 days behind bars. The case was never prosecuted and charges against him in that matter were provisionally withdrawn.

As Mtshingana, who is also a former Student Representative Council president, appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court, there were reports that there were two fires started at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus.

University spokesperson, Lesiba Seshoka, said five students were arrested after a group of students failed to heed a warning by police that they were in violation of a High Court interdict that barred protests.

“The group had gathered on the Library Lawns. SAPS informed the group that the gathering was in violation of the interdict. Stones were thrown at the police.”

A man, who was neither a student nor a staff member, was injured and taken to hospital.

He said two staff members were also arrested, but that they were released as the High Court interdict does not apply to staff members.

“We have received reports of two acts of arson on the Pietermaritzburg Campus whereby a table was burnt in the Students Union Building and books were set alight in the library.”

He said that the fires were extinguished before they spread.

ANA