An American tourist's innocent question about the filling of a samoosa unleashed a tirade of anti-US hate speech and a death threat by a knife-wielding Simon's Town cafe owner.
With the knife held to his throat, the tourist was bombarded by a torrent of abuse about US President George Bush and America's invasion of Iraq.
This was evidence on Friday in the Simon's Town magistrate's court where the cafe owner, Abdul Hoosen, 67, was convicted of assault. The American, Russell Dicky, 36, flew more than half way around the world to see justice done.
Magistrate Willem Cornelius fined Hoosen R1 500 or 30 days in prison and declared him unfit to own a firearm. Dicky flew to Cape Town from San Diego, California, with his mother, Sylvia Hagen, specifically to have his day in court.
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The drama unfolded in October when Dicky, who works in radio broadcasting, visited Simon's Town for the day while holidaying in Cape Town. He stopped at a cafe in Main Road near the railway station for a samoosa, which was on the counter next to wrappers with a sign reading R2.
Dicky told the court he had picked up a samoosa and put it in a bag and said to Hoosen: "By the way, what's in the samoosa?"
He said Hoosen had looked at him for a moment and then said: "You Americans ask stupid questions."
"I said pardon me, and he said: 'You Americans are very stupid'."
Dicky said he then asked for his money back, but Hoosen came at him with a long serrated kitchen knife.
"He said: 'Listen to me; listen to me; listen to me. I will kill you. I will kill you. You don't mean anything to me'."
Dicky said the knife had been at his throat. "I was edging out of the store but he was walking towards me. I was horrified and spellbound."
Dicky said Hoosen then started with hate speech.
"He went on about the United States and George Bush and Iraq."
Dicky said a young man, who turned out to be Hoosen's 15-year-old son, appeared and tried to pacify his father.
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