Relatives and friends of jailed #FeesMustFall activist vow to free him
DRAMA unfolded at the Voorberg Prison where students visiting jailed FeesMustFall activist Lukhanyo Matinise were chased away from the facility.
Yesterday, a small group of CPUT students accompanied friends and family members of Matinise who were visiting the 24-year-old who was sentenced to a five-year sentence on March 31.
Matinise was arrested in 2017 following the torching of the Anglican Church at CPUT’s District Six campus at the height of student unrest for free higher education and was found guilty and sentenced to serve out his sentence at the Voorberg Medium Centre.
Around 30 people gathered outside the facility yesterday afternoon holding placards singing and dancing as they waited for Matinise’s mother, Nomzamo Msuthu, to return from visiting her son.
However, the signing was cut short when a Correctional Services official, who identified himself as the facility manager, Mr Davids, told the group they did not have permission to stage a picket on the prison ground. After some back and forth, the police were called, right before a Weekend Argus photographer was taken to a room and questioned about her presence at the facility, who invited her and asked to delete any pictures she may have taken of the prison.
The group, not bothered by what they called intimidation tactics, said work was under way to try and file an appeal against his conviction or garner enough support for a presidential pardon to free Matinise.
“We have lawyers studying the case files and we are trying to get the judgment so that we can hand that over to begin the process of appealing his conviction,” said CPUT student Siyanda Mngqabisa.
“We are also trying to garner enough support to go before the Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola or President Cyril Ramaphosa to get him pardoned. We will explore all avenues to have him released.”
#FeesMustFall Western Cape activist, Masixole Mlandu, said the jailing of student protesters was an injustice to those who fought for access to higher education for the poor.
“He has done nothing wrong but was at the right time in the wrong place. Like all of us who were young and hungry to see most of those who looked like us entering into a tertiary institution in their numbers,” he said.
“One of the saddest things about him was that he was a first-year student and decided to join a fight he knew nothing about but based on his conviction.
“South Africa has forgiven people who have never even asked for forgiveness but has the audacity to sentence a young boy from Makhaza to five years in prison. We are asking that Lukhanyo be forgiven and sent back to his family.”
Matinise’s grandmother, Ntombizanele Ndiki, 63, said it still has not sunk in that he was in prison, and once again, missing out on a chance to further his education.
“That morning, he left home and said not to worry because it was the last day of the court case and his lawyer had assured him he would come back and that we shouldn’t worry.
“But hours passed and he still hadn’t returned, only for us to receive a call from the lawyer to say he had been taken into custody and that we must arrange for clothes and things to be sent to him in prison.
“To this day, whenever the time he usually comes home arrives, we look to the door expecting him to walk through it. Lukhanyo is no criminal, he wouldn’t burn down a church when he was raised in one. He is a teacher at heart and had enrolled at Unisa to finish his education.
“June is his birthday month and we brought him a birthday cake to celebrate, but because of Covid-19, his mother couldn’t even take that in with him.”
Nomzamo said her son was devastated by his conviction but was finding comfort in the support he was receiving.
“He was broken the last time I saw him, but there is strength in prayer because today he had the biggest smile on his face which made my entire day.
“He knows the support he has out here, we walked and I told him there were people outside to support him. He broke down and cried but for once those were not tears of sorrow but ones of joy that he is not alone and forgotten.”