Watch: Everything you need to know about the coffin case

The two men accused of forcing a man into a coffin and threatening to douse him in petrol appeared at the Middelburg Regional Court on Monday.

Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen allegedly forced Rethabile Victor Mlotshwa into a coffin and threatened to kill him.

The video the pair took of the incident caused national outrage when it hit social media.

Magistrate Jongilizwe Dumehleli, during their bail proceedings, said that the attack was clearly motivated by racism.

The pair meanwhile said in court affidavits that they attacked Mlotshwa for stealing copper cables, a claim the magistrate was less than convincing.

"None of the applicants explains what happened to the copper cables. They also knew where the police station is. They never brought the copper cables to the police station for safe custody," Dumehleli said.