Machadodorp 'assault' video: the other side of the story

A businessman and his family were forced to flee for their lives after being targeted in the backlash over a viral video of security guards dragging a man in Machadodorp‚ Mpumalanga.

The video showed a black man‚ who appears to have been assaulted‚ being dragged to a bakkie by two white security officers.

Ridwaan Ismail‚ who called the security guards and police after the incident‚ told TimesLIVE that the man being dragged was part of a group that had severely assaulted one of his employees.

Ismail’s employee was attacked by three men when he passed a house where Ismail was in the process of evicting a woman who had purchased the property but not paid.

He said one of the three attackers was the man who was later dragged to the bakkie by the security guards.

Ismail said following the incident‚ the community looted his house and burnt down his shop on Tuesday.

“I will lay charges with the police‚” he said. “My house and shop were not insured. I want the police to compensate for my damage as they did not do anything.”

The family have fled to Johannesburg for their own safety.

Police spokesman Colonel Mtsholi Bhembe confirmed that the shop was first looted before being burnt down. He said police were not aware that his house had been looted as no case was opened.

Bhembe said the police were still investigating the circumstances that led to the two guards forcing the man onto the back of the bakkie.

He said the guards were arrested on Monday and appeared in the Belfast Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. They were remanded in custody until Friday‚ when they will apply for bail.