Fees Must Fall activist Kanya Cekeshe has spent his second Christmas in jail but Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi hopes to ensure that he doesn’t spend another one behind bars, says a City Press report. The leading advocate has joined the fight with Wikus Steyl from Ian Levitt Attorneys in the hopes of appealing Cekeshe’s eight-year sentence.

The ex-Footprint Media Academy student is still serving his five-year jail term in Leeuwkop prison for burning a police van in Braamfontein at the height of the Fees Must Fall protests in 2016. Steyl said the student’s family and friends approached the firm for their assistance.

‘The Fees Must Fall movement was this generation’s ‘struggle’ and was successful in obtaining its desired outcome. Kanya is now being severely prejudiced for fighting for the benefit of thousands of students who couldn’t afford tertiary education and who were turned away by the government. Whilst we cannot comment on Kanya’s previous lawyer’s handling of the matter, we believe that mistakes were made by various interested persons in presenting Kanya’s defence. Our office is now in the process of applying for leave to appeal the sentence and do we believe that on the merits, Kanya’s appeal should hopefully succeed if heard by a competent court,’ Steyl is quoted as saying.

Full City Press report