By Naadiya Adams

In the wake of South Africa’s July unrest, many people were arrested and incarcerated. A young man by the name of Mohammed Saleh Ahmed was one of them. He has been behind bars for around 45 days now.

Radio Islam spoke to Moulana Abed Khan from Verulam in KZN, Ahmed’s uncle to share some insight. He says Saleh has been wrongfully accused.

“I can tell you he’s a wonderful child, what he’s charged for is double murder, a kidnapping, attempted murder and sexual assault. So all this happened at the same time number one and he couldn’t have been, no person can be there at the same time for all this, the double murder, the kidnapping and the sexual assault,” explained Ahmed’s uncle.

He said the mob had been standing outside Ahmed’s house and had been assumed to be part of the mob.

“Mohamed Saleh, he couldn’t handle this thing and he almost fainted and he shouted and said don’t kill this people, he phoned the police and they had to give him some water and things like that,” said Ml Khan.

He said it had later emerged that Ahmed had allegedly tied someone up but when he was questioned by his uncle he responded;

“Tell me I’m taking a kassam from you, did you tie this person’s hands? He replied Wallahi I didn’t tie this person’s hands, how can I do that, I’m not a person like that,” explained Khan.

Saleh remains in jail for over 45 days with no bail, his family has attended court several times and they say they have seen a great deal of injustice. He has compared the matter to the plight of the early ANC government.

“The ANC government went through exactly the same thing in the apartheid era when the National Party held Nelson Mandela and many other activists, detained them without bail,” said Ml Khan, he says during that time, the people felt for Mandela and the freedom fighters and what they were going through, many of them even joined the ANC in support of those who were wrongfully incarcerated. Ml Khan says the same cannot be said in present day South Africa and with regard Ahmed’s case.

According to Ml Khan, the magistrates and court proceedings are wrought with corruption and injustices, in September when Ahmed had a possibility of being granted bail, Ml Khan says the presiding judge remanded the case for absolutely no reason, had he even denied bail it would have allowed them the opportunity apply to a high court for bail but because the case was postponed Ahmed will need to wait until the next hearing.

Ml Khan says the community has attempted to get involved, and many people have visited the family home but all efforts to have Ahmed’s case heard are falling on deaf ears.