Jail for men in ‘racist’ attack on petrol attendant

28 June 2016 - 13:24 By Roxanne Henderson

Two men who assaulted a petrol pump attendant in an alleged “racist” fit‚ when he told them that unleaded petrol at a Tzaneen station had run out‚ have been jailed for their crime. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement on Tuesday that it welcomed the sentences‚ with the hope that it will “deter other would-be racists”.The Tzaneen District Court sentenced Hermanus van Dyk‚ 36‚ to two years behind bars and Danie le Roux‚ 29‚ to 18 months‚ it said. They had each pleaded guilty to counts of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and crimen injuria.The incident‚ captured on CCTV footage‚ took place on June 18 when Van Dyk and Le Roux kicked the petrol attendant‚ who had tried to escape but failed.Van Dyk and Le Roux apparently followed the man and bit him. Another man‚ driving Van Dyk and Le Roux‚ tried to placate the two men but was overpowered by them.Van Dyk and Le Roux told the court they had kicked the complainant with booted feet.According to the NPA‚ in her judgment‚ magistrate Helen Mabuza-Mkansi said that the incident is unacceptable 22 years into democracy.The court found that Van Dyk and Le Roux had celebrated the attack on the petrol attendant by hugging each other to say “well done”.“They undermined the human dignity of the complainant and should be sentenced accordingly for disregarding both the Constitution and the rule of law‚” Mabuza-Mkansi said.They have both been declared unfit to possess a firearm.“The occurrence of racial discrimination against any person has reached alarming proportions in our society‚ it is the duty of this court to stop racism by sending [the] two accused to jail‚” said the NPA's advocate Ivy Thenga. – TMG Digital..

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