27 October 2017•Update: 27 October 2017
By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG
A court in South Africa Friday has sentenced two white farmers who attempted to force a black man into a coffin to 11 and 14 years in prison.
Last August, Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Jackson were convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping, intimidation and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. They denied the charges, saying they had only intended to frighten the suspect.
The duo forced Victor Mlotshwa 27, into a coffin and threatened to set it on fire after he trespassed on their land in the northeastern Mpumalanga province.
“The conduct of the accused confirms that a lot still needs to be done by the state and public that those who abuse the bill of rights are brought to book,’’ Judge Segopotje Mphahlele, said in a live TV broadcast while handing her judgment at the High Court in Middelburg, Mpumalanga province.
Oosthuizen was sentenced to 11 years in prison and Jackson 14 years.
The incident made headlines in August 2016 after video footage posted online apparently showed the men the 27-year-old into the coffin.
The incident caused nationwide outrage bringing back bitter memories of the apartheid system, in which black South Africans were oppressed for decades because of their race.
