They have released a statement calling for compassion, understanding and propose that the 'justice system take into consideration the option of rehabilitation outside of the prison system...'.

Prominent civil society organisations, a bishop and former Wits student leaders including Tiego Moseneke, Thuli Madonsela, Kenneth Creamer and Mohammad Timol, today released a statement calling for the immediate release of #FeesMustFall activist Kanya Cekeshe.

Cekeshe has been in prison for the past two years and is serving an eight- year sentence at Leeuwkop Correctional Centre. He was arrested on charges of public violence and malicious damage to property when he tried to set a police van alight during protests in 2016.

Last week he was admitted to hospital to receive mental health treatment. His lawyers are in the process of arranging access to a psychiatrist in prison so as to manage his mental health while fighting for his release.

Cekeshe is the only #FeesMustFall activist still languishing in jail and his legal team, now led by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, argue that his case was badly handled by his previous lawyer and that his statement and the charges levelled against him were incongruous.

The Fees Must Fall movement was established in 2015 by...