Mohamed – Ameen Dabhelia -18-11-2016

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has called on law enforcement agencies to impose the toughest possible sanctions against the men accused of forcing a black man into a coffin.

The two men, Theo Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen abandoned their bail bid in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday with the state opposing bail.

The alleged assault of Victor Rethabile Mlotshwa took place next to the Komati power station in Mpumalanga.

In the 20-second video, which was posted on YouTube on November 7, one man, speaking in Afrikaans, forces Mlotshwa into a coffin and threatens to pour petrol on him.

It’s understood the footage was shot on a mobile phone by one of the two white men involved in the incident.

Director of the AK Foundation Neeshan Balton says the incident reminds him of something the Ku Klux Klan will do.

“I think what we are seeing now is within the global context rise of conservatism and racism, where people don’t really think about consequences and they are acting out on their raw emotions and the raw emotions are coming to the forefront.”

The case has been postponed to January 25th while the two men accused remain in police custody.

(Edited by Faizel Patl)