CEO caught assaulting pregnant woman claims she called him the k-word

Businessman Romeo Makhubela has apologised for slapping a seven-month pregnant woman‚ but said her racist abuse led him to react - and he now wants the woman prosecuted for her slurs.

In a statement issued on Wednesday‚ Makhubela - who was suspended as CEO of Novare Consultants when CCTV footage of the assault emerged this week - said that he was sorry for the way he had reacted‚ but claimed that the woman’s use of racial slurs had made him angry.

The woman was identified as Bianca Fourie‚ the daughter of Krugersdorp Freedom Front Plus councillor Amanda de Lange.

Makhubela said he wanted to tell his side of the story.

“For the past few days I have observed in silence stories of my altercation with a woman that I have recently learned is a Ms. Bianca Fourie from the West Rand. The stories and the video circulated projects me as a mad man who without cause attacked a defenceless and innocent woman. I believe that I have reached a point where it is important to reveal my side of the story so as to dismiss these eccentric and exaggerated elaborate lies that are peddled against me.

“It is indeed true that on April 25 I happened to be at the FeatherBrooke Village Shopping Centre with my two sons. Our plan was to visit the Steers restaurant because my son wanted something to eat. The altercation with this woman begun when she blocked the way of several cars to the irritation of the drivers behind her. It was at this point that a screaming confrontation ensued between the woman and occupants of a car in front of us.

“During this period the woman was hurling insults at the black occupants in that car. After parking‚ my mistake was when I confronted the woman and asked her how she could hurl such insults in front of children. What I was not fully prepared for was that she would turn her rage against me with a barrage of racial slurs. At first I was taken aback but when she unceasingly referred to me as a ‘K****r’ and ‘poephol’ in front of my children and followed me to Steers. I was overcome by anger and slapped her on the face‚” said Makhubela.

He said that when he realised the argument was not coming to an end‚ he told his children they should leave and go to another restaurant.

“Though I was still seething with anger‚ I managed to apologise to my children who had to experience not only their father being racially abused but also the fact that I slapped another person in front of them‚ something that is out of character for someone like me. After dropping my children at home I proceeded to the Honeydew Police Station where I opened a case of crimen injuria even though I had no idea as to the identity of the woman. I subsequently also proceeded to lay a complaint of racism with the equality court‚” his statement read.

Makhubela said he took full responsibility for his actions‚ and apologised unconditionally to Fourie for what he did.

“In hindsight I know that I should not have allowed my anger to control me to a point where it was necessary to slap this woman and I am prepared to issue an unconditional apology to her for doing this. What I am not prepared to do is to let her get away with calling me a ‘K****r’‚ and all those other racial insults. In this day and age I just cannot believe that a white person can feel justified to impugn on my dignity and worth by calling me a ‘K****r’ and be allowed to get away with it.

“I am prepared to take full responsibility for my wrongful act against her but I am determined to pursue this matter in our courts so that Ms. Fourie can be held accountable for her actions. I have suffered racial abuse for a long time during the apartheid period but in our new dispensation I refuse to accept it and will not let it go unchallenged‚” he said.