Attempted Murder Suspect in Alleged Racist Incident Released on R20k Bail, SA Complains: "That's Nothing"
- One of the men arrested for the alleged Maselspoort Resort racist incident appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court
- Kobus Klaassen was arrested for attempted murder but was released on R20 000 bail because he does not pose a flight risk
- South Africans took to social media to complain about how low the court set Klaassen's bail
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BLOEMFONTEIN - The third suspect in the alleged racist incident that occurred at Maselspoort Resort and Conference Centre on Christmas day has been released on R20 000 bail.
Kobus Klaassen was arrested for attempted murder for assaulting two black teenagers who a group of white men claimed were not allowed to swim in a pool "reserved" for white people.
The state granted the Free State man's bail application because Klaassen has no pending cases or previous convictions, has a fixed address in Bloemfontein and isn't considered a flight risk, TimesLIVE reported.
uMngeni mayor slammed for calling Free State alleged racist incident a distraction: “You’re finished Pappas”
Two other men, Johan Nel and Johannes Stephanus van der Westhuizen were also arrested for the incident and appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 28 November where they were charged with common assault.
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A now-viral video clip shows the three men along with a group of other white men, choking, attempting to drown and man-handling the two teenage boys.
Additional security footage of the incident has been shared which seemingly dispels the theory that the altercation started because the boys pushed a 3-year-old into the pool.
Here's what South Africans had to say about Kobus Klaassen being released on bail:
@5G_sys claimed:
"That's nothing for @afriforum, they will just pay it with their eyes closed. He's a hero to them."
@stony_steen said:
"If this was a racist incident, then let him be down/upgraded, depending on your view, from a Free Stater to a free eater in some godforsaken jail."
@MPalafini added:
"He's got 20k to waste. Just because he can't swim with another race!"
ZiyaMadlakes asked:
"For what? The Groblersdal racist is still in prison."
@Pinango007 quipped:
"Being racist is expensive, neh."
EFF protests over alleged Free State racist incident earning the respect of Mzansi
In a related story, Briefly News reported that members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) protested outside the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 29 December.
More than 50 party members called for the end of racism while waiting for the third accused in the alleged Maselspoort racism attack to appear. The men face numerous charges, including attempted murder for the attack on two teenagers at the holiday resort.
EFF provincial chairperson Coach Liphoko told TimesLIVE that the party would continue fighting to end discrimination in South Africa. He said incidents such as this take citizens back to the apartheid era.
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Source: Briefly News