Africa-Press – South-Africa. An alleged racist attack against two black teens on Christmas Day by white men at the Maselspoort Resort saw EFF members descend on the Free State resort in protest.
Members gathered at the resort outside Bloemfontein on Monday – some swam, some sang around the pool and some played on the swings.
The EFF members said they had come to the resort to express their anger following the incident that involved several white men allegedly attacking the two teens.
A video of the apparently racially-motivated confrontation has gone viral on social media. In the video, a white man is seen slapping a 13-year-old boy, who is then thrown back into the pool when he tries to get up.
The man then appears to try to choke the 18-year-old.
The situation escalates when another man pulls the younger teen’s hair.
A scuffle then ensues with one man pushing one of the boys into the pool and seemingly trying to keep his head under water.
The video ends when a man drags the older teen by the head in the pool.
It is alleged that the white men tried to prevent the black teens from using the swimming pool at the resort.
In a statement, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said she noted the incident with “utter disgust”.
She said she supported the Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela’s instruction to the Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Makalo Mohale to deal with the matter urgently.
Sisulu said reports of racism at tourist facilities negatively impacted the tourism sector, which was still trying to recover from losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I call on law-enforcement agencies to deal with this matter decisively and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book to send an eloquent message that incidents of racism have no place in our democracy,” the minister said.
Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said a case of common assault was being investigated.
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