Cape Town - Two men are expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a man and putting him in a coffin, the National Prosecuting Authority has said.
A video of the incident prompted widespread outrage on social media before it was later taken down from YouTube on Tuesday.
The video shows a man, identified as Victor Rethabile, cowering and moaning in a coffin as one of his tormentors pushes part of the lid over his head and upper body to close the coffin. In the 20-second video a man threatens to pour gasoline in the coffin.
Another threat is to put a snake in the coffin.
The two men, who are white, are charged with kidnapping and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The Economic Freedom Fighters condemned the incident as a reminder of the racism that lingers in South Africa.
EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement, “This humiliation can be based on nothing else but his blackness, which means it is in actual fact a humiliation of black people as a whole.”
The court appearance on Wednesday is expected to attract demonstrations from the EFF and the ANC.
WARNING: This video contains graphic scenes which may disturb sensitive viewers.
IOL MOJO and AP