Suspected instigator of unrest Ngizwe Mchunu denied bail
A former Ukhozi FM radio presenter will remain behind bars following his first court appearance on Wednesday.
Ngizwe Mchunu, who is accused of being one of the instigators of the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, was denied bail by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
He handed himself over to authorities in KZN on Monday.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga says the state believes Mchunu might be a flight risk.
“What is missing is information that will help us. In our opposition of bail there are information that is pointing to him being a flight risk and that information is needed for us to make a determination to what extend are we going to oppose bail against him.
“Evidence that we have relates to utterances that he made during a public press conference that he had. In terms of masterminding it, I am not able to comment at that because there is a wide range of investigations that are conducted which might lead to more charges against him.”
READ: Fifth suspected unrest instigator arrested in KZN
Mhaga adds that the state has a video to prove the charge of incitement of violence.
“We have accessed the video that was recorded, we have had a translator of Zulu and we are convinced that the words he used amount to the commission of an offence to commit public violence. At the moment the evidence we have collected is sufficient to prove an offence of incitement to commit public violence.
“That is the only charges he is facing now, but we are analysing the evidence and the video recordings and we are conducting further investigations with the possibility of adding other changes.”
Mchunu will appear in court again on the 28 July for a formal bail application.
