SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Three adult white males have been arrested in connection with the alleged racial attack at the Maselspoort Resort and Conference Centre in Bloemfontein, Free State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said the first two suspects who have been linked to the racial incident at the resort are 33-year-old Johan Nel from Bothaville, Free State, and 47-year-old Jan Stephanus van der Westhuizen from Brandfort, who have since been charged with assault and crimen injuria, while a third suspect was arrested for attempted murder.
Makhele said both Nel and van der Westhuizen were released on warning, with the matter having been postponed to January 25.
Brigadier Makhele added that the third man, a 48-year-old from Bloemfontein, will remain in custody and will appear in court on Thursday.
The Provincial Commissioner commended the investigating team, which worked tirelessly to make sure that these suspects are brought to book as soon as possible.
The alleged racism incident that took place at the Maselspoort Resort and Conference Centre on Christmas Day has sent shock waves across the country, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for decisive action to be taken against those responsible. The incident occurred about 20km outside Bloemfontein in the Free State.
This happened after a video emerged on social media where two teenage black boys, ages 13 and 18, were attacked and assaulted by a group of white male adults.
The video, which has gone viral internationally and has attracted an outcry all over the country, shows some adults trying to prevent the boys from using a swimming pool at the resort, which they allegedly claim is reserved for the use of white people only.
Ramaphosa said such incidents must be rooted out of society, as they divided rather than united the country.
"We must also be united in ridding our society of the violence we see in the videos of the incident at the Free State resort, whether such violence comes with racism or not."
"It is deplorable that adults dealing with teenagers resort to violence with such disturbing ease, hurting people physically and offending provisions in our Bill of Rights around the security of the person, including the right to dignity and being free of violence," the President said.
Makhele said the investigating team had worked around the clock to detect the suspects responsible for the racial altercation that happened on Christmas Day at the resort.
"We can confirm that there are three suspects arrested today; the first two who were arrested are from Bothaville and Brandfort, respectively; they are 33-year-old Johan Nel and 47-year-old, Jan Stephanus van der Westhuizen.
"The two appeared in court on charges of assault common and Crimean Injuria and the matter was postponed to 25 January 2023 while being released on warning," Brigadier Makhele said on Wednesday.
"The third suspect, a 48-year-old resident of Bloemdal in Bloemfontein, was arrested just after 12 p.m. and will be charged with attempted murder. He will remain in custody and is expected to appear in Bloemfontein magistrate court on Thursday, December 29, 2022, on the main charge being attempted murder," Makhele said.