Kathrada Foundation calls for toughest possible penalties in #CoffinAssault case
16 November 2016
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation calls on law enforcement agencies to impose the toughest possible sanctions against the two individuals accused in the recent #CoffinAssault case, following thorough investigation.
Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Martins Jackson stand accused of forcing Victor Rethabile Mlotshwa (27) into a coffin and threatening to set him alight. Footage of the incident, which reportedly took place near Middleburg, went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
“The brutality of the incident is shocking,” said Neeshan Balton, the Foundation’s Director, noting that the racial dynamics of the situation was highly disturbing.
“Of all the hideous acts of racism that has plagued South Africa of late, the incident of placing Victor Rethabile Mlotshwa in a coffin and threatening to burn him is amongst the most despicable. This incident has parallels to the type of treatment meted out to African Americans by the Klu Klux Klan and one can only speculate whether the emergence of Trump in the USA has emboldened racists here to the extent that they feel brazen enough to carry out acts such as this,” Balton said.