The South African National Civic Organisation said not all “white people...are racists’‚ but called for a court to deny bail to a farmer it believes is one.
“There is no place in our society for those who still harbour seeds of racism‚ who despite repeated calls to embrace non-racialism have opted for barbaric racial prejudice‚ hatred and violence‚” said the organsaition’s Jabu Mahlangu.
This came a day ahead of the resumption of the bail application of Leon Vincent du Plessis‚ the Bronkhorspruit farmer accused of trying to incite fatal attacks on black people via Facebook posts‚ on Tuesday.
Mahlangu applauded “members of the community who alerted authorities” to the posts that led to Du Plessis’ arrest three weeks ago.
“The tip-off confirmed that not all white people‚ and in particular Afrikaners‚ are racists. The majority are patriots who have embraced reconciliation‚ nation-building and social cohesion‚” he said.
Magistrate David Shinkwambane adjourned the application last Thursday‚ just when Du Plessis and his lawyer started delivering their argument about why he should be granted bail.
Shinkwambane could not return to the court on Friday‚ hence the hearing would now continue on Tuesday.
A court official confirmed to the Sowetan that Du Plessis will be back in the dock on Tuesday.
Du Plessis has been in custody since his arrest three weeks ago. His first bail application was postponed because he wanted an Afrikaans-speaking interpreter present.
He was arrested at his farm outside Bronkhorstspruit during a raid police conducted following a tip-off about his allegedly inciting‚ racist posts on Facebook.
Police apparently found firearms and 1300 rounds of ammunition‚ including SSG bullets‚ inside his home.
He faces charges of inciting others to commit crimes‚ possession of explosives‚ possession of ammunition without having a licence and failure to lock firearms in a prescribed safe.
The charge sheet stated that Du Plessis “incited others on Facebook to commit violence or murder against black people”.
In his posts‚ all in Afrikaans‚ Du Plessis repeatedly makes apparent racist statements.
On February 1‚ he posted a picture of a silhouetted man carrying a shotgun‚ a trail of blood behind him‚ with the words “die Boere is gatvol” (Afrikaners have had enough).
But when arguing for bail last week he denied he was racist. Du Plessis said he got along well with black people he worked with over the years.
“The relationships [were] good” and he “even had friends of other colours” who come to visit him‚ he told Shikwambane.
He was also a “man of God”‚ Du Plessis submitted. He brought two Bibles to the court.
– TMG Digital/Sowetan
nkosib@sowetan.co.za
Sanco: ‘No bail for Facebook racist’
The South African National Civic Organisation said not all “white people...are racists’‚ but called for a court to deny bail to a farmer it believes is one.
“There is no place in our society for those who still harbour seeds of racism‚ who despite repeated calls to embrace non-racialism have opted for barbaric racial prejudice‚ hatred and violence‚” said the organsaition’s Jabu Mahlangu.
This came a day ahead of the resumption of the bail application of Leon Vincent du Plessis‚ the Bronkhorspruit farmer accused of trying to incite fatal attacks on black people via Facebook posts‚ on Tuesday.
Mahlangu applauded “members of the community who alerted authorities” to the posts that led to Du Plessis’ arrest three weeks ago.
“The tip-off confirmed that not all white people‚ and in particular Afrikaners‚ are racists. The majority are patriots who have embraced reconciliation‚ nation-building and social cohesion‚” he said.
Magistrate David Shinkwambane adjourned the application last Thursday‚ just when Du Plessis and his lawyer started delivering their argument about why he should be granted bail.
Shinkwambane could not return to the court on Friday‚ hence the hearing would now continue on Tuesday.
A court official confirmed to the Sowetan that Du Plessis will be back in the dock on Tuesday.
Du Plessis has been in custody since his arrest three weeks ago. His first bail application was postponed because he wanted an Afrikaans-speaking interpreter present.
He was arrested at his farm outside Bronkhorstspruit during a raid police conducted following a tip-off about his allegedly inciting‚ racist posts on Facebook.
Police apparently found firearms and 1300 rounds of ammunition‚ including SSG bullets‚ inside his home.
He faces charges of inciting others to commit crimes‚ possession of explosives‚ possession of ammunition without having a licence and failure to lock firearms in a prescribed safe.
The charge sheet stated that Du Plessis “incited others on Facebook to commit violence or murder against black people”.
In his posts‚ all in Afrikaans‚ Du Plessis repeatedly makes apparent racist statements.
On February 1‚ he posted a picture of a silhouetted man carrying a shotgun‚ a trail of blood behind him‚ with the words “die Boere is gatvol” (Afrikaners have had enough).
But when arguing for bail last week he denied he was racist. Du Plessis said he got along well with black people he worked with over the years.
“The relationships [were] good” and he “even had friends of other colours” who come to visit him‚ he told Shikwambane.
He was also a “man of God”‚ Du Plessis submitted. He brought two Bibles to the court.
– TMG Digital/Sowetan
nkosib@sowetan.co.za
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