Rustenburg – The death of 17-year-old Matlhomola Mosweu, who died when he had allegedly jumped from a farmer’s moving van in Coligny in North West is a tragic accident, Solidarity Movement said on Thursday.
Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys, said the accident has since been exploited for political agendas by people who do not live in the town and have been bussed in, leaving in its wake crime and looting.
"A contingency plan is in place should further violence continue following the court ruling," said Buys in a statement.
"At this stage, the police and the community are preventing access to external troublemakers who want to instigate matters in undesirable ways."
He said the predominant feeling that emerges from the many interviews held with members of the community was that the two men were innocent and what had happened was an accident.
"The law must take its course and members of the public should refrain from passing judgment and finding the men guilty in the media,” Buys said.
"Whoever commits murder, be it white on black or black on white, deserves a life sentence. We are, however, of the opinion that this incident is an example of the double standards that apply in South Africa at the moment given that the two persons involved happen to be Afrikaans males."
A petition signed by over 100 residents was handed in court this week in support of the two murder accused to be granted bail and have charges against them withdrawn.
The South African Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Wednesday, slammed the petition as "racism in action".
Buys said according to Coligny’s business people healthy race relations have prevailed over the years in the community and the current situation was being blown out of proportion through social media abuse and false rumours that have been spread about events.
Residents of Tlhabologang and Scotland in Coligny waged a mass violent protest on April 24, that left three houses and three trucks burnt, several shops were looted and damaged. The protest was allegedly sparked by the death of Matlhomola Jonas Mosweu, who died on April 20.
Two farmers Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte were arrested on April 25, in connection with his death. The two farmers alleged that he jumped out of a moving van.
However according to an eyewitness Matlhomola was thrown out of a moving.
Doorewaard and Schutte are applying to be released on bail, their bail hearing continues on Friday at the Coligny Magistrate's Court.