GEORGE NEWS - Hein Scheepers (26) well-known vocal youth activist from Rosemoor, is seething with anger at having to appear in the George Magistrate's Court on Friday 16 February after a protection from harassment application was laid against him.

The application, initiated by Suff Academy's Annique Arries, the manager of the George Youth Café in Market Street, was served on Scheepers on Monday 11 December. 

Suff Academy is the service provider that runs the Youth Café for the Western Cape Government.

Scheepers said an altercation was sparked by an incident on Monday 13 November when at reception refused to allow him to use a phone charger. 

"The next day I came to the Youth Café and greeted Shawn Campher, Suff's acting CEO and then went to the 'laptop' area, where Arries accosted me and shouted at me."

He said that he told Arries to stop yelling at him and to rather contact Cllr Mercia Draghoender or Shanold Marillac, the senior manager of Community Development Services at the municipality or Elrico van Rooyen, a director of the Suff Academy, if she has a problem with him.

Instead, he says, she called municipal law enforcement, who in turn called for backup from the police, who arrested him on a complaint of riotous behaviour. 

Scheepers appeared in court on Wednesday 29 November on a charge of criminal injuria regarding the telephone charger, but the case was struck off the roll, after which the protection from harassment application was laid.

"The Youth Café is my working space, my contact with the outside world. I need the 250mb of free data, which is now denied to me. 

"The Western Cape Government says that internet connection for the youth is a pillar of its policy," said Scheepers.

If he is found guilty, it could mean that the George Municipality and the provincial government will interdict him from entering the Youth Café and deny him his right to dearly needed resources.

Annique Arries from the Suff Academy was asked for comment, but none had been received at the time of going to press.

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