Home News Man accused of racial abuse

Man accused of racial abuse

637

“At some stage, he tried to offer me money, which I refused.”

A KIMBERLEY man has vowed to open a case at the Equality Court after the manager of a multinational company allegedly swore at him, using racists remarks, following a minor accident on the corner of Goedehoop Avenue and Constantia Road.

A case of crimen injuria has already been opened at the Kimberley police station and a video recording has been made of the man’s alleged verbal attack on the victim.

According to the victim, he had stopped at the stop sign at the corner of Goedehoop Street and Constantia Road on Friday evening, at around 7pm, when a white Mazda bakkie turned into Goedehoop Avenue and hit the rear right side of his vehicle, a blue BMW.

“I disembarked and proceeded to inspect my vehicle to assess the damage. I approached the driver to speak to him and I immediately observed that he appeared to be intoxicated. Without any provocation, the driver started swearing at me.”

He added that the driver said in Afrikaans: “Jou * ***, dus maar net * skraap.” I asked the driver not to swear at me. He came out of his car and said, “Julle k****** (using the k-word) is vol k**, wat gaan jy maak?”

The man said he immediately called the police and started to record what was happening on his cellphone.

“This never deterred him from this shameful behaviour.”

He stated that the vulgarities and slanderous manner in which he had been verbally attacked had left him extremely hurt, dehumanised and traumatised.

“My dignity was impaired as a law-abiding citizen of South Africa. This unknown person was wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of a multinational company that supplies mining equipment.

“The driver said he was the boss of this company and nothing would happen to him.”

The man has a video of the driver taking an iron rod from the back of his bakkie and threatening to break all the windows of his BMW.

“At some stage, he tried to offer me money, which I refused.”

Scenes were also recorded where the man swears at a well-known diamond miner in Kimberley as well as threatening to shoot another diamond miner, presumably for not coming to his assistance.

“None of these people were present and I struggled to understand how they came to be involved in this matter.”

The wife of the offending driver also arrived a few minutes later and begged the man not to call the police. The driver also became profusely apologetic.

“The police, as well as a traffic official, arrived and took the man to the police station.”

The man added that he would report the matter to the Equality Court and the SA Human Rights Commission. “I have also opened a criminal complaint of crimen injuria, intimidation, and reckless and negligent driving.”

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Dimakatso Mooi confirmed that a case of crimen injuria and intimidation was opened after the complainant alleged that the suspect was aggressive and insulted him. “The circumstances surrounding the matter are being investigated and no arrests have been made yet,” she added.

Previous articleR11.3bn infrastructure plan for NC
Next articleMom was burnt alive