April 08, 2007 Edition 2

Chris Makhaye

The hunger strike by five men from the Kennedy Road informal settlement in Durban entered its seventh day this morning.

The five, who are charged with murder, are being held at Westville prison. Their bail hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The men are accused of being part of a large crowd that assaulted a suspected mugger, Mzwakhe Sithole, 26, before handing him over to the police about two months ago. Sithole later died in police custody.

Sthembiso Bhengu, 32, Sbongi-seni Gwala, 34, Cosmos Nkwa- nyane, 31, Thina Khanyile, 27, and Mduduzi Ngqulunga went on a hunger strike last Sunday.

Four of the men were arrested in a dawn raid at the Kennedy Road settlement on March 21.

Ngqulunga, who is the chairman of the Kennedy Road Development Committee, was arrested a week earlier. The five men went on hunger strike to protest what they termed “wrongful arrest” and the manner in which the Sydenham police were handling their case.

Abahlali BaseMjondolo shack dwellers’ association chairman S’bu Zikode, who visited the accused, said they had lost weight.

“They said they would be on the hunger strike until they are released. They have been in prison for weeks and have not been granted bail.

“The police are delaying the process, claiming that they need more time to arrest more people,” he said.

Zikode said Kennedy Road residents planned to march to the Sydenham Police Station to show their support for the accused.

Sydenham police have denied that they are using the murder case to get back at the leaders of the squatters.

Station commissioner Snr Supt Glen Nayager said more people would be arrested in connection with Sithole’s death.

Correctional
Services spokesman Manelisi Wolela could not be reached for comment about the hunger strike.