News24.com | Parys water protests: Four people in custody, bail application set down for next week

Red Ants security guards deployed to the offices of Ngwathe municipality.

• Four people arrested in connection with protests in Parys are expected to apply for bail next week.
• They were arrested after the protests over lack of water turned violent.
  
• A municipal building and the home of their mayor's mother were torched.

Four people who were arrested in connection with violent protests in Parys are still in custody.

Sandile Magqaza, 37, Nthabeleng Mokoena, 39, Anna Coetzee, 54 and Thandi Nqai, 28, briefly appeared in the Parys Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on two counts of public violence.

Their lawyer, Mhlopheki Khumalo, told the court that his clients had fixed addresses and that there was no reason to keep them in custody.

"Three of them, excluding Coetzee, might lose their employment should they be imprisoned. Magqaza, Mokoena and Nqai are breadwinners. Coetzee is disabled and survives on a government disability grant. They don't have previous convictions or pending cases. I'm requesting that bail be fixed. I humbly request the court to consider Coetzee's condition and [for her and] her fellow co-accused to be granted bail," Khumalo submitted.

But prosecutor Anathi Vuthula said the State opposed their release on bail.

READ | Water 'wars': Thirsty Free State residents torch municipal building, demand water

"The accused are facing two counts of public violence. Their addresses haven't been confirmed. The police are yet to verify their addresses. The police could not do so because of the volatility in Tumahole. Mokoena stays in Vredefort. The accused have not been cooperating with the investigating officer.

"Yesterday, there was an altercation between the police and protesters preventing the investigating officer from accessing the area. Apart from their addresses being verified, Tumahole remains violent. People have barricaded all roads in the township. There are fears that the protests could escalate," Vuthula told the court.

She said more arrests were expected.

The matter was postponed to 23 January for the accused's bail application.

Meanwhile, 12 others are expected to appear in court on Friday in connection with the protest.

Outside the court building, which is opposite the Ngwathe municipal offices, a group of protesters chanted slogans.

The municipal building remains under heavy guard by the Red Ants.

Some could be heard recruiting others to go to Tumahole to continue protesting.