Angry pupils break through barrier

2010-03-18 11:01

Miranda Andrew and Kenichi Serino

Johannesburg - Hundreds of stick-wielding schoolboys descended upon a Soweto court on Thursday, crashing through a police barricade set up on the street corner to control entry.

The students, in school uniforms, ran through a police barricade outside the Protea Magistrate's Court where hip hop artist "Jub Jub" Maarohanye and his friend, Themba Tshabalala, were due to apply for bail on murder charges.

Singing and chanting vulgarities to the police, the children were cheered on by fellow students who had been sitting in the sun in a nearby park.

The police parked a nyala behind the court gate to prevent it from collapsing in case students started pushing against it, while a water cannon was moved outside the court house.

Arrests for public violence

On Wednesday, five schoolchildren were arrested for public violence after protesting out of anger against Jub Jub and Tshabalala's actions that allegedly led to the death of four pupils.

Meanwhile, inside the court building, court officials and the police struggled to control the number of people allowed into court room 6 for the second day of the bail application hearing.

Journalists were asked to stand in a separate line outside the court room and only 12 reporters were allowed in while others were made to wait.

A certain number of people from each family involved in the case were also allowed in, including Jub Jub's father and aunt.

Proceedings had not started by 10:30.

The court heard on Wednesday that the pair tested positive for morphine and cocaine when their urine samples were taken.

Tshabalala also had alcohol in his blood. A breathalyser showed his alcohol levels were 0.4 milligrams of alcohol per 1 000 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 0.24.

The two were allegedly racing their Mini Coopers on Mdlalose Street, Soweto on Monday, March 8 when they crashed into a group of schoolboys, killing four and critically injuring two.

They face four charges of murder, two of attempted murder and one each of reckless and drunken driving.

The bail hearing was expected to be wrapped up by Thursday afternoon.

The State was opposing bail.

- SAPA