July ’21 unrest trial delayed over legal representation issues
The trial of 62 people accused of instigating the July 2021 unrest has been postponed after issues with legal representation delayed proceedings in the Durban High Court. The State alleges the violence was coordinated through WhatsApp groups.
The trial of the 62 people accused of instigating the July 2021 unrest has been delayed at the Durban High Court, where issues with legal representation have stalled the start of proceedings.
The criminal trial of 62 people accused of coordinating the riots and looting that broke out during the July 2021 unrest has been delayed.
The eight-week trial was set to commence in the Durban High Court on Monday.
Five years after the deadly unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng killed over 300 people and left thousands of businesses looted, senior state prosecutors were meant to begin laying out their case against the 62 alleged instigators in court 12 this morning.
But while all the accused showed up in court, many were unprepared to proceed.
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The court spent much of Monday morning dealing with the accused’s legal representation, with numerous defence attorneys withdrawing from the case.
Some accused appeared with new legal representatives, while others were without counsel and are now seeking Legal Aid.
The matter was postponed for a week.
Prosecutors allege that the 62 accused orchestrated the violence in July 2021 through several WhatsApp groups, including one called #FreeZumaCoordinators.
