By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The case against two men accused of assaulting a security guard in Groblersdal has been postponed to next week and the two will be remanded in custody.
Pieter Groenewald (63) and his 27-year-old son, Stephan Greef appeared before the court last week Wednesday, and their case was postponed.
During their first court appearance, supporters of Groenewald clashed with the police outside court, demanding his release.
Police fired stun grades to disperse the protestors, some of whom were seen waving the old South African flag.
Limpopo police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba said the suspects unleashed their dog on the 30-year-old employee during an altercation.
“According to the preliminary information, the victim was performing his guard duties at a network tower battery on Wednesday morning,17 January, at Kwaggafontein, when his supervisor paid an oversight visit.
“He then accused the victim of being intoxicated while on duty, and as a result, he drove with him to Groblersdal to discuss the matter with the manager.
“Upon arrival, the two got into an argument that resulted in the manager hitting the victim with a hard object.
“The manager allegedly instructed a male relative to unleash their pet dog on the victim. The dog bit the victim on both legs.”
Groenewald and Greef, appeared in the local magistrate’s court again on Wednesday on a charge of attempted murder.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha were all present during Wednesday’s court proceedings.
“Last time when this court was in session, there was chaos here and this town has a little bit of a history of such cases of racial tensions and all that, “Cele told the media outside court.
“We just wanted to be here, to give support to all law enforcement and make sure that things are quiet, things are peaceful…nothing more, nothing less, justice should be done and done according to the law.”
The postponement was decided to allow further deliberations on the matter, with the next court appearance slated for Wednesday, 7 February 2024.