Former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma is rallying behind the alleged July unrest instigator Bonginkosi Khanyile, saying his party will give him the necessary support when he returns to court for the trial.

Khanyile will be back in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after pulling a no-show last week.

He is currently out on R5,000 bail. In a video posted on X, Zuma can be heard encouraging all the MKP supporters to rally behind Khanyile because it is “important".

He also slammed the authorities for randomly arresting people with no proper case records.

“I am sure we’re all aware that the young man Khanyile is appearing in court tomorrow. I think it will be very good for us to go and support him.

“It will be absolutely, very, very, very important that those who are arresting people on cases that we don’t see the tail and the head of it. We should go to court and give them the support. It is absolutely important,” he said.

Zuma added: “In fact, it is necessary that whenever one of us is facing such a situation, we should be there to give support and make it a point that they should know we are there to defend our comrades, so please, just go there.”

Khanyile faces accusations of inciting public violence and violating the Disaster Management Act in July 2021 when unrest engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, resulting in widespread looting and the deaths of more than 300 people, sparked by the imprisonment of Zuma for contempt of court.

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Khanyile allegedly made a public warning in the lead-up to the 2024 elections that if Zuma or the MKP were not allowed to run, there would be no elections.

Later, the electoral court postponed his R150,000 fine for incitement and withdrew him from his role as the party's youth head.

In court last week, State prosecutor Yuri Gangai informed the judge that they had reached an agreement with Khanyile's legal team to postpone the case until a pre-trial hearing so that his new legal team, headed by Scelo Cele, could become acquainted with the allegations and case.

Cele was appointed by Khanyile after he was arrested for not showing up for court on Monday.

He had not explained why he was not there.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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