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The police have arrested a 42-year-old man for assault, malicious damage to property and crimen injuria after he and a second suspect accosted a 30-year-old man at the Willow Way shopping centre in Pretoria during the early hours of Sunday.
They said they received a complaint of assault and responded to the scene just after midnight.
“Since the victim was unable to give a formal statement, he arranged with the police to come to the police station later that day to give a statement.
“The police also arranged for the victim’s brother to come fetch him. Other supporting statements and the necessary video footage were collected and registered as evidence.”
After receiving the statement later in the day, the police said they managed to trace one of the suspects and arrested him.
The other suspect is still at large.
A video of part of the incident has since surfaced.
While the video is dark and the suspects or victim cannot be clearly seen in it, the audio reveals part of the story.
A VW Polo with its right door open in the parking lot is visible in the video.
Loud thuds and bangs can be heard as a suspect, speaking Afrikaans is heard shouting, “break that f**king car, break it”, while the victim, also speaking Afrikaans, can be heard pleading with them.
The victim said, “Please don’t do it, please don’t do it.”
The suspect can be heard shouting more expletives at the victim, calling him a h****t, which is a derogatory term for coloured people.
The victim keeps pleading with the suspects, shouting he did not do anything and that he did not mean it, although no context is provided as to what he did not mean to either do or say.
At one point in the video, a shattered side window can be seen.
Nearer to the end of the video, one of the suspects can be seen in front on the Polo while the second man is on the left.
The police said both suspects were wearing biker gang attire but did not comment on which gang it was.
Meanwhile, Gauteng police commissioner General Elias Mawela has instructed an internal investigation be conducted after allegations surfaced that the police officers, who attended the scene, failed to act.
“A recorded mobile video of the incident has since surfaced on social media and the provincial commissioner would like to assure the public that the case is receiving the necessary attention,” Muridili said.
Mawela also condemned the incident.
Source News24