Groblersdal case sparks outrage

CHAOS: FOUR FACE PUBLIC VIOLENCE, ASSAULT CHARGES Many Afrikaners take to social media to back farmers.

The director of Bittereinders, a movement promoting the interests of Afrikaners, Devon Hofmeyr, along with Willem Petzer and Tewie Wessels, will have to wait until tomorrow to apply for bail after handing themselves over to police on charges of public violence on Monday.

The fourth accused, Dries Olivier, handed in a sick note and was expected to join the trio this week to face charges of inciting public violence and assault, following a protest at the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court, where they demanded Piet Groenewald and Stephan Greeff be released.

Groenewald and his son, Greef, appeared on charges of attempted murder, following an assault on a 30-year-old security guard.

Many Afrikaners have taken to social media not only to back the Bittereinders, but also to express their dissatisfaction about certain political and civil rights organisations not getting involved in the Groblersdal debacle.

AfriForum head of security of the northern region, Llewellynn Hemmens, said they stood on the side of law and order.

He questioned the selective prosecution and double standards in Groblersdal.

“Following the events in Groblersdal in the past few weeks, AfriForum condemns the actions of any organisation or individual that causes chaos in the community,” he said.

Hemmens said political parties such as the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were attempting to exploit and escalate the tensions in Groblersdal.

“There is an undeniable attempt to destabilise the community,” he said.

“It is worrying that only protesters in support of the accused are currently being prosecuted, while inciters and lawless individuals on the side of the ANC and EFF escape prosecution.”

Hemmens said AfriForum’s top priority is to safeguard the Groblersdal community and to ensure that the tensions do not escalate further.

“Those who break the law, incite violence and lawlessness and cause chaos in the community must be consistently prosecuted. Double standards are indefensible and only escalate the tension further,” he said.

Political expert Dr Benjamin Rapanyane said in the new democratic dispensation, it was shocking to see white people unleashing their dogs on black people and even going to the extent of carrying apartheid-era flags in defence of their actions.

“It is something that South Africans still need to work on so that we do not become a nation that lives a lie,” he said. Criminologist Prof Jaco Barkhuizen said the constitution allowed everyone the right to peacefully protest.

“The moment that you break the law and don’t protest peacefully, law enforcement agencies are allowed and duty-bound to arrest you,” he said. “The question about bail to be considered for an accused are previous convictions and other legal factors,” he said.

Barkhuizen said the South African bail system was not perfect.

“But every offender has the right to bail, while the state is allowed to oppose it if the state feels the offender may interfere in the case,” he said.

Political analyst Piet Croucamp said: “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

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Those who break the law must be consistently prosecuted