Orefile Sefika, the Treasurer of the University of the Free State’s Student Representative Council (SRC), was arrested on 20 July 2021 after violent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. He allegedly posted and shared messages on social media that called on people to join in on the nationwide unrest. Sefika’s legal counsel Tebogo Kalaote, tells OFM News the matter was postponed to 7 September 2021 for further investigations.

Kalaote previously said the state’s case against his client is “baseless” on account of the fact that Sefika’s social media messages, which reportedly called for people to partake in the national shutdown last month, did not lead to any violence in the province and as such amount to nothing more than freedom of speech. Sefika appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Wednesday 21 July, facing charges of inciting violence following his arrest and subsequent release on a warning from the Bainsvlei Police Station on Tuesday 20 July.

Police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele, said on 15 July 2021 the accused’s cell phone was confiscated for investigation purposes. His arrest comes after incidents of massive looting of both private businesses and public institutions in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, in protest against the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma. Over 3400 people were arrested by late July for inciting violence during the shutdown.

OFM News