EFF statement on the racist attack on SA athlete Thabang Mosiako

12 February 2018

The EFF condemns, in the strongest terms possible, the racist attack on South African athlete Thabang Mosiako and his friend in Potchefstroom. Mosiako tells a story of how they were targeted and attacked by a group of white men for intervening on behalf of a shopkeeper they were shouting at. These white men beat them up so much that the South African athlete can now no longer go to Algeria for the African Champs in March due to head injuries.

We call on the South African police to do a thorough investigation and bring these men into justice. It is very clear that the phenomenon of racist attacks by white Afrikaner men is common in small towns like Potchefstroom. It is well known that they go around beating black people and do so at times in the presence of police, with impunity. None of these racists are ever brought to the book. 

We further call on black communities to form people’s policing forums to ensure that they hunt and bring these racists to the book. All black people, particular students of the surrounding colleges and universities in  Potchefstroom must unite against white racism by constituting policing forums to police anti-black racism. No white man must lay a hand on black people anywhere and not meet the consequences of their brutal action. 

Issued by Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi, National Spokesperson, EFF, 12 February 2018