On Christmas Day (Dec. 25), while many were enjoying time with loved ones, a woman based in Africa shared a shocking video on social media, pleading for justice. In the footage, a white man hit a Black teen in the face at a public pool. A description of the clip alleges the man and his friends were upset that the African teen and his brother were at a pool reserved for white people — in 2022.
“[My] family came to spend the day at MASELSPOORT RESORT and CONFERENCE CENTRE in Free State. My brothers were attacked by these grown men because they are apparently not allowed in the pool, as it’s reserved for the “white people” here. The Oranje-Vrystraat we love. Merry Christmas,” the tweet read. A radio host named Tumii Frost shared the post. As of today (Dec. 27), the clip has received 3.9 million views on Twitter alone.
JUST IN: Three people have been arrested for the #MaselspoortResort attack. Johan Nel and Jan Stephanus van der Westhuizen have already appeared in court for common assault and crimen injuria. The third suspect will appear in court tomorrow for attempted murder.@khanya_mntambo https://t.co/lJvAO0CmK6
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) December 28, 2022
In an article from yesterday (Dec. 26), News24 said that Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele told the media that officers were investigating “a fighting incident taking place at a holiday resort in Bloemfontein” on Christmas Day. Makhele added, “On arrival, members found the groups already dispersed and were approached by a parent of one of the victims who alleged that his two teenage boys, aged 18 and 13, were assaulted by a group of white males over the usage of a swimming pool.” Another local outlet, SABC News, said the boys were 15 and 18 years old.
The Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC’s office condemned the “senseless act of racism.” The office added, “Thus far, the incident has been identified as one element that remains a threat to the revival of the tourism sector. Therefore, we urge our communities to report any incident of racism to law enforcement agencies and continue to play a role in assisting the police to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.” Makhele advised that the situation is under investigation by Glen police and will be taken to court.
