The two men who forced Victor Mlotshwa into a coffin allege that he begged to be assaulted rather than be taken to the police‚ the High Court sitting in Middelburg heard on Friday.

“Accused one [Willem Oosthuizen] will say that you continued to beg and invited them to rather assault you than take you to the police‚” said Wayne Gibbs for Oosthuizen.

There were gasps in the courtroom as Gibbs cross-examined Mlotshwa.

“I know nothing about that‚” Mlotshwa said.

The accused say that they had caught Mlotshwa in possession of stolen copper cables. They claim to have chased him down and found him in possession of a black tog bag with the stolen goods.

They claim as they questioned Mlotshwa about who he was working with‚ his boss‚ a scrapyard owner‚ called his cellphone.

“[Oosthuizen] will testify that when asking you questions‚ your phone started ringing. He will say that he grabbed the phone from you. The person on the other side was a white male who spoke Afrikaans. The person will say that he identified himself as a scrap metal dealer … and he was expecting a package or something from you. While he was still talking to this person‚ you jumped out of the van and then started running‚” said Gibbs.

Mlotshwa denied this‚ adding that he did not have a cellphone with him on that day.

His version was that he was attacked by Oosthuizen and Theo Jackson on August 17 last year as he innocently waited to hitchhike to Middelburg‚ where he was to buy stock for his mother’s spaza shop.

He claimed the pair assaulted him‚ punching and kicking him and accusing him of theft before forcing him into a coffin.

They threatened to put a snake inside the coffin and set it alight.

To save his life‚ he decided to tell them what they wanted to hear‚ Mlotshwa said‚ adding that he could no longer bear the assault.

The incident was recorded by the accused‚ who claim they took the video and pictures of Mlotshwa in order to avoid him later saying they had assaulted him.

They claim he had also made threats that he would burn their crops‚ kill their wives and children and they therefore wanted pictures of him as evidence‚ in case any of this ever happened.

Oosthuizen and Jackson face charges of attempted murder‚ two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm‚ kidnapping‚ intimidation‚ unlawful possession of a firearm and defeating the ends of justice.

The second charge of assault relates to another man‚ Delton Sithole‚ who claimed the same men had assaulted him just moments before they attacked Mlotshwa.

Sithole said they had accused him of trespassing after catching him walking on a footpath that crosses through the farm to an informal settlement on the other side.

The two accused have denied guilt‚ adding that they did not even know Sithole.

Meanwhile‚ the court heard that Mlotshwa was not the first person to have been forced into a coffin after being apprehended on the farms in JM De Beer Boerdery next to Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga.

“[Oosthuizen] will testify that two months prior to the incident‚ he assisted Hannes De Beer [a farmer] in apprehending another suspect who was taking his mealies‚” said Gibbs.

“De Beer had told him that he had scared those two people by using the coffin. He will testify that he then asked accused 2 [Jackson]‚ who worked for De Beer‚ if they still had the coffin‚” said Gibbs.

“The conversation was had in Afrikaans and the two confirmed that the coffin was still there.”

Mlotshwa told the court that he knew nothing about the conversation.

The matter continues.