Teens attacked at Pongola petrol station, cops watch 'with their hands in their pockets' - video

A large mob has been caught on video attacking a small group of teenagers outside a petrol station near Pongola.

According to the Zululand Observer, the mob repeatedly beat the teens with sticks and were looking for sugarcane cutters.

Police were notified and rushed to the scene, but when they got there, ‘They just watched with their hands in their pockets,’ according to a witness.

Pongola's SAPS station  commander has apparently launched a disciplinary inquiry over the officers' apparent inaction

The video was featured on Intelligence Bureau SA's Facebook page, with the top rated comment being based on how ineffectual our police service appears to be.

"Crazy at how we don't tolerate each other anymore ....this is not the South Africa we deserve! And the cops are powerless ! I would like to know the full story so until then I will reserve the rest of my comment!" Rangwane Marumo said in a comment.

Another issue that came up in the discussion was the race of the victims and the attackers.

"What if the colours were the other way around? Would have immediately been declared a racist attack and been on 8'oclock news, Carte Blanche, third degree etc. That's a fact. Even a res initiation was deemed as such because it was white on black," Jaco Hattingh wrote.

That said it is far from clear that race was a motivating factor in this attack - as some commentators speculated that the blond man in the attack appeared to have been attacking the woman in the blue shirt at the start of the video.

"There is only one thing I can see here, the blond guy attacked the girl in the blue shirt already lying on the ground, and if it was not for the black teens, she would have gotten of worst than that.

"So for ONCE in your life say thank you to ALL of those who were willing to help the white girl. I say thank you to those who had the common sense to protect!!! Doesn't matter what colour, ALL of us are South Africans, so why can't we start to stop and bad mouth others, and start looking at ourselves and our comments. As the saying goes. " Charity starts at home!!!!!!! "" Tanya Bezuidenhout Pretorius wrote.