DURBAN - A 21-year-old man videoed being knocked out in a racial assault broke his silence on Saturday.
A 25-second video of Ntando Gumede that went viral this week showed him trying to talk to a white man about racism after an altercation at a Hillcrest pub.
Before Gumede could complete his sentence, he was elbowed in the face and knocked out for about 10 minutes.
Gumede, of KwaNyuswa, works as a petrol attendant in Hillcrest. He said he had gone out with friends for drinks.
“We were in the pub and a guy began making racial slurs. He then hit me on the back of the head. The bouncer kicked him out. His friends started to make a noise and said I, too, should be kicked out. The bouncer then kicked me out,” said Gumede.
WATCH: Victim in Hillcrest race assault speaks out on the incident.
He said when he went outside, he tried to tell the man there was no place for racism in South Africa.
He was then attacked.
“My friends said the man and his friends then got into their cars and sped off. They didn’t even bother to check if I was okay. My friends wanted to take me to a hospital, but they took me home and gave me painkillers,” said Gumede.
He said when he woke up the next morning, he could hardly remember anything.
“I was shocked to learn that the video had gone viral, but I was also embarrassed because I didn’t want my parents to see something like
that.
“I was drunk as well, so it was also embarrassing for me,” said Gumede.
He said he was considering opening a case against the alleged suspect.
“At first I didn’t want to because I didn’t want my parents to know of the incident. When the video went viral, I decided I should because of the pressure. Now that the incident is out in the open, I do not have to fear my parents finding out, so I will consider opening a case,” said Gumede.
He said that since the incident, he had not heard from his attacker, who he thought would contact him to apologise.
“I am calm and timid by nature. My thoughts that night were just to speak to him to make him see that racism is not acceptable anymore. He really took me by surprise because I never expected it to turn violent,” said Gumede.
Victim Ntando Gumede.
He said he was grateful to be all right and that he did not need to go to hospital, although he had seen a doctor since the incident.
Contacted for comment, the alleged attacker said he was not in a position to speak and had nothing to say to the Sunday Tribune.