President Ramaphosa condemns the racist incident in the Free State

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned an alleged violent racist incident at Maselspoort Resort, just outside Bloemfontein on Christmas Day.

This after a video emerged on social media in which two black teenagers were attacked and assaulted by a group of white adults.

In the video, the adults apparently tried to stop the boys from using a swimming pool at the resort which they claim is for the exclusive use of white people.

The president said such incidents must be rooted in society and condemned the actions of white adults.

“We must also stand together to rid our society of the violence we see in the videos of the Free State resort incident, whether or not that violence is accompanied by racism.

“It is deplorable that adults caring for adolescents resort to violence with such disturbing ease, physically harming people and violating the security of the person provisions of our Bill of Rights, including the right to dignity and the absence of violence,” the president said. .

President Ramaphosa called on everyone to fight against the scourge of racism in the country.

“Our Constitution means exactly what it says when it states that South Africa – and that means all of South Africa – belongs to all who live there.

“As black and white South Africans, we must stand united in condemning all manifestations of racism and attempts to explain or defend such crimes. Racism is not a problem to be tackled only by Black South Africans,” he said.

Following the outcry over the incident, the president said the law should be allowed to take its course.

“Under the rule of law we must let the investigations take their course, but under the rule of law we can and must also declare that racism has no place in our society and that racists have no place to hide.

“We must uphold our continuing national mission to rid our society of the divisions and wounds of our past,” President Ramaphosa said.

Investigations continue

Meanwhile, police spokesman Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said police were still investigating the case following calls for an attempted murder case to be opened against one men who allegedly held one of the boys underwater.

Makhele said police are currently investigating a case of criminal insult and common assault which may be changed as the investigation continues.

“We want it on record that the police never downgraded any crime but worked and were informed by the first statement obtained from the complainant.

“That wasn’t the end of our investigation so the investigator continued to get more statements before the case could be filed with the Attorney General to give further direction because whoever has such muscles to decide so after obtaining these additional statements, a charge can be changed.

“It was after obtaining these statements that the case was presented to the senior state attorney who gave a directive that a charge may be changed to attempted murder based on additional facts,” Makhele said.

(With contributions from the South African government press release)

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