MIDDELBURG – ANCYL volunteers who fell victim to racial assaults have revealed that they turned down money offered by their attackers in an attempt to persuade them to drop the case. Thokozane Mtsweni and Linford Mafokoane were allegedly assaulted by two white males in Dennesig, north of Middelburg, during a racial slur incident on April 13. They disclosed to the paper that they resisted efforts by their attackers to bribe them. “They attempted to bribe us, but we firmly rejected any bribe because we stand against racism,” Mtsweni stated. He recounted that their car broke down in the middle of the road, and as they were pushing it to the side, the two assailants approached and began hurling insults, including the use of the K-word. “We refused to tolerate being called the K-word. That’s what sparked the altercation because we asserted that such language is unacceptable in this day and age,” he explained. Mafokoane sustained a broken leg during the assault, while Mtsweni managed to apprehend one of the assailants and called for help. Traffic police arrived at the scene and escorted the two victims and their attacker to the Middleburg police station, where a case was lodged. John Van Eeden and Andre Gerber were arrested the following day, April 14, and were each released on R1000 bail. They appeared in court again on Thursday morning, May 9, and the proceedings have been adjourned until June 6, 2024, for further investigations.
