Johannesburg - The murder of two men allegedly at the hands of a group of farmers has ignited racial tension in a small Free State town.
Groups of ANC and EFF members, as well as local farmers, clashed outside the Parys Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday during the bail application of the four farmers who are accused of killing Samuel Tjexa and Seun Tangasha last week.
According to media reports, the farmers wielded the old Vierkleur-flag while the ANC and EFF supporters sang racially derogatory songs as they marched along the road near the court. This forced police to cordon off the road with barbed wire to separate the opposing groups.
The Front National Youth has since taken action against the ANC and EFF members for singing “Shoot the boer” outside the court and are expected to file criminal charges against them at Somerset West Police station on Wednesday. This is on the basis that a legal agreement was recently drawn up prohibiting the racially derogatory song from being sung as it is believed to incite murder and hate speech.
“The fact that it was sung before the eyes of the media today is sufficient evidence of the fact that there is no respect for the law,” the organisation said in a statement.
On Tuesday the accused farmers - Gert van der Westhuizen, Johannes Cilliers and his son Stefan Cilliers, and Anton Loggerenberg - were granted bail of R5 000 each due to the State’s weak case against them.
The Star
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