Three white men violently attacking black teenagers in the swimming pool of a holiday center: the shocking images have gone around South Africa, where the three suspects of racist assault were charged on Thursday 29 December.
“The day I realized I was black”: the New Year’s joke that started it all
A video filmed on Christmas Day, in the middle of the austral summer, shows these middle-aged men trying to strangle, slap, put their heads under water two skinny cousins of 15 and 18 who are struggling, kicking fist. One of the men, cigarette in hand, grabs the youngest’s hair and shakes his head.
These images of raw violence, sadly evocative of apartheid, were said to have been preceded by a heated exchange during which the men prohibited the use of the swimming pool to the boys, insisting that it was reserved for the customers of the center vacation. According to witnesses, they did not explicitly say “only for whites” but in a South African context, this is what many immediately heard.
“We must rid our society of violence”
The father and uncle of the teenagers, Brian Nakedi, told the press that he had come, at the request of the two young people, to explain to these men “who happen to be white” that the teenagers, housed on site, had the right to access the swimming pool. “They said it was a misunderstanding” but as soon as he left, a fight broke out.
When investigators arrived, “the altercation was over and the groups dispersed”according to a police statement.
“Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism”, by Robin DiAngelo
Police confirmed that two of the suspects, Johan Nel, 33, and Jan Stefanus Van der Westhuizen, 47, were charged and presented to a judge on Wednesday for assault. The third, Jacobus Johannes Classen, 48, was presented to court on Thursday for attempted homicide, we learned from the prosecution. They are scheduled to appear on January 25.
The incident took place in Bloemfontein, in the Free State province, an area known for recurring racial tensions. “We must rid our society of violence” seen in this video, that she “whether or not accompanied by racism”President Cyril Ramaphosa reacted on Tuesday. “It is deplorable that adults dealing with adolescents resort to violence with such disturbing ease”he added.
