Statement of the Minister of Justice on Legally affected students from incidents arising out of the #Feesmustfall Campaign
27 August 2018
On the instruction of President Cyril Ramaphosa I, in my capacity as Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, met with higher education student activists on Friday August the 24th at the Union Buildings who were demanding a general amnesty for their fellow comrades who came into conflict with the law as a result of incidents that occurred during the #FeesMustFall campaign protests.
This followed a prior engagement I had with similarly affected students who marched to The Presidency in Tuynhuys, Cape Town, on Wednesday the 23rd of August.
On both occasions, I pointed out that in line with its respect for the principles of separation of powers and the rule of law, the Executive branch of government had neither the mandate nor the inclination to favour any person or group of people with a specific or general reprieve outside the existing constitutional and legal framework.
The criminal justice system provides avenues for various alternatives to outright criminal prosecution which include diversion, mediation and various forms of restorative justice mechanisms.