Johannesburg - The National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) confirmed that Jakobus Klaasen was sentenced to a fine of R20 000 or two years’ direct imprisonment after he was found guilty of attempted murder by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
Klaasen was the second man accused of being involved in a racial incident that took place at the Maselspoort Resort & Conference Centre on Christmas Day last year.
Klaasen was further handed a sentence of five years, wholly suspended for five years, on condition that he is not found guilty of assault, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, or attempted murder during the period of suspension.
In a statement, NPA regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping indicated that magistrate Rasheed Matthews sentenced Klaasen to a further 36 months of correctional supervision after he convicted him of assault.
Klaasen, together with Stephanus van der Westhuizen, 47, and Johan Nel, 47, were seen in video footage trying to prevent teenage boys from entering the pool area at the resort. They told the boys that the pool was reserved for white people only.
“Klaasen was charged with attempted murder after he was seen on the video trying to drown one of the boys,” Shuping added.
In May this year, Van der Westhuizen pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault, and was sentenced to a fine of R4 000 or 12 months’ imprisonment.
“He also apologised to the two boys and their father, who accepted his apology. He also apologised to the South African public,” Shuping said.
Shuping said the case against the third accused, Johan Nel, was postponed to December 6 for trial.
The three men came under fire for assaulting the two teens at one of the facility’s swimming pools when they tried to prevent them from swimming in the pool due to their skin colour.
The three adult men were condemned for their racist behaviour, with scores of South Africans calling for the owners of the facility to apologise or face the closure of the establishment.
The Star