A comment by a judge — that she may have imposed a lesser sentence on Andile Lungisa — and fears he had been sacrificed on the altar of deterrence because of his political standing have been highlighted in papers before the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

Lawyers for the Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor have now asked the Bloemfontein court to set aside his two-year prison term for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and instead impose a sentence of correctional supervision...