South Africa’s Fees Must Fall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile has been arrested by the Hawks in connection with the unrest in the country recently.
The 31-year-old is suspected to have been one of the people who incited public violence during the unrest.
It’s understood that Khanyile was arrested in Johannesburg and transported to KwaZulu-Natal, where he is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s court on Monday.
The violence was sparked by the imprisonment of the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, over refusal to appear before the Zondo Commission of Enquiry that is investigating him over allegations of corruption reportedly committed when he was still president.
The protests mainly affected KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces where protesters blocked roads and looted shops. President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed the unrest was a planned rebellion aimed to topple his government.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, then minister of defense, disagreed with Ramaphosa. She said in relation to the reports of an insurrection:
We are not seeing signs of a coup or insurgency, but rather a counter-revolution creeping in, in the form of criminality and thuggery. This was designed to sow the seeds of division in the country.
She was subsequently fired in the reshuffle that followed. Ramaphosa has vowed to go after those who allegedly instigated, planned, and coordinated the looting, sabotage, and violence.
