Cape Town - More than 20 people protesting outside the Bellville Magistrate’s Court in support of the alleged Cape Town International Airport faeces-tossers were arrested on Monday for being too close to the court building without permission.
They were at court for the appearance of the nine people arrested at the airport last week - city councillor Luyiso Nkohla, expelled councillor Andile Lili, Yanga Njingwana, Ben Dyoni, Bantubakhe Ngobodiya, Wandesile Mkapa, Jaj Dimiso, Bongile Zamazo and Thembela Mabajwa.
Police spokesman FC van Wyk said 14 men and eight women, aged between 21 and 45, were arrested for protesting within 100m of a court without permission. They would appear in court soon.
Inside the court, magistrate Jannie Kotze heard that seven of the nine arrested for dumping human waste “had a propensity to commit similar crimes”.
Prosecutor Greg Wolmarans said the State opposed bail for the nine men because, based on their previous conduct, it was likely they would commit similar crimes if released.
Seven of the men, excluding Ngobodiya and Mkapa, were arrested early last month for dumping human waste on the steps of the Provincial Legislature or flinging faeces at Premier Helen Zille’s vehicle while she visited Khayelitsha.
The court heard that the seven had pending cases of public violence, and the Cape Town magistrate had issued an order that prohibited them from engaging in illegal protests.
The airport protest followed that order.
The men in court on Monday have been charged under the Civil Aviation Act.
If convicted they face a fine or 30 years in custody.
Advocate Thembalihle Sidaki, for the nine, read bail affidavits into the record.
The men all had fixed addresses, said they would not evade their trial, did not know any witnesses and would not interfere with them.
Nkohla said: “I was called on by the people to highlight the unhygienic and unbearable sanitation services by the City of Cape Town.”
He said residents who used the portable toilets felt their rights to dignity had been violated as the human waste had not been removed for two months.
Sidaki said that no flights or equipment had been affected or damaged, and he questioned the charge brought against the men.
But Wolmarans said that according to the Airports Company South Africa, faeces and tyre-burning protests on the N2 near the airport had caused a collective 10-hour flight delay recently, amounting to a loss of R500 000.
The men are due back in court on Tuesday, when Wolmarans is expected to argue why bail should be denied.
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