A man appeared in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court for allegedly assaulting a professor at the University of Stellenbosch.
Abel Malan, 48, made an appointment with professor Anton van Niekerk on Thursday to discuss an article he wrote about whites being in a lot of debt, which appeared in Beeld newspaper.
Malan allegedly overturned an office desk onto van Niekerk, a director of the Centre for Applied Ethics at the university, and physically assaulted him, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
He was arrested by campus security and handed over to the police.
Malan, who was being held in the Stellenbosch police cells, told the court he was scared that he would be assaulted in jail.
His defence lawyer Paul Kruger said Malan had already had to defend himself against attacks in the police cells.
Magistrate Alfrieda Lewis said Malan would have to stay in the police cells until his bail application.
He was expected to appear in court again on Wednesday.