Feebearing - Cape Town - 150730 - Members of the African National Congress and the Seskhona Peoples Rights Movement appear outside the Cape Magistrates court in support of Andile Lili who was arrested yesterday for comments made outside the Bellville Magistrates Court. Pictured: Loyiso Nkohla(red cap) walks with a group of ANC members outside the Cape Town Magistrates Court. REPORTER: NATASHA PRINCE. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW. Feebearing - Cape Town - 150730 - Members of the African National Congress and the Seskhona Peoples Rights Movement appear outside the Cape Magistrates court in support of Andile Lili who was arrested yesterday for comments made outside the Bellville Magistrates Court. Pictured: Loyiso Nkohla(red cap) walks with a group of ANC members outside the Cape Town Magistrates Court. REPORTER: NATASHA PRINCE. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW.
Cape Town - Ses’khona People’s Rights Movement leader Andile Lili - accused of inciting violence - is expected to appear in court on Friday.
Lili, who is also a provincial executive member of the ANC in the Western Cape, was arrested on Wednesday following comments he allegedly made outside the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday that people should kill criminals.
He reportedly called on communities to kill criminals who rob and rape, “immediately and brutally”.
On Tuesday, Lili and eight other men made a brief appearance in court where they have been convicted for contravening sections of the Civil Aviations Act, for throwing human waste while at the Cape Town International Airport.
The men said they wanted to highlight issues of sanitation in Khayelitsha.
Sentencing proceedings were delayed on the day and Lili’s alleged statements came while he had been addressing a group of supporters after the matter was postponed.
However, according to his lawyer, Barnabas Xulu, by lunchtime on Thursday Lili had not been formally charged.
Xulu did not want to comment on the matter, saying only that they were in intensive discussions with the police.
It was not clear who had laid the complaint against Lili.
Expecting Lili to appear in court on Thursday, members of the ANC and Lili’s friend and fellow Ses’khona leader, Loyiso Nkohla, arrived at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
Nkohla said that while Lili had not yet been found guilty of anything, the statements were “unfortunate,” adding that the Ses’khona movement fought for people’s rights and that it was a law abiding organisation.
He said the statements “were serious contradictions” to what the organisation stood for.
“There was a mistake and there’s no justification for it… as an organisation we can’t advocate instability,” he said adding: “As leaders we must never undermine our influence.”
Unsure of what Lili had been charged with by 11am on Thursday, Faiez Jacobs, the ANC provincial secretary, said the ANC condemned the action and that the alleged statements were “reckless”.
“However, he is one of our members, although we are unhappy with his utterances because it goes against what we stand for,” Jacobs said.
ANC PEC member Jerimia Tuynsma said the ANC stood for people’s rights and that the organisation’s leaders would meet with Lili to determine “what went wrong”.
Lili is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
natasha.prince@inl.co.za
Cape Argus