Another race attack at top university

Free State Assault Victim Racist

The Free State student allegedly assaulted by two fellow students at the University of the Free State's city campus is a racist, the Bloemfontein Regional Court heard on Monday.

"Your evidence is indicative of your racial attitude," Johann Nel, for the two students, said in cross-examination.

Cobus Muller faces four charges, including reckless driving, crimen injuria, attempted murder, and assault, while Charl Blom faces a charge of assault.

The State alleges the two students tried to run over fellow student Muzi Gwebu with their bakkie on the campus in February this year.

When Gwebu confronted the two moments afterwards, he was allegedly assaulted.

Nel submitted that Muller denied all the allegations against him and that the two, in terms of the assault charge, had only tried to protect themselves against an aggressive Gwebu.

"You are the racist here," Nel submitted to Gwebu after the alleged victim could not say why he refused help from fellow white students after the apparent assault.

"You are here to defend racists," Gwebu replied, adding that Nel might have "interests of the same calibre" about him.

Earlier in the cross-examination Gwebu testified that skin colour was not the reason why he did not accept help from white students when they offered.

"If skin colour is not the reason, what other reason for your distrust might there be," Nel asked.

"You did not approach them for help or ask them."

Gwebu said he could feel and see that he was racially under attack. He did not trust them.

Gwebu also told the court he forgot to tell police initially that he was severely insulted on the night of the alleged incident.

He alleged in evidence-in-chief he could hear the driver of the bakkie call him a "******" just before it hit him.

"You were gravely demeaned, you testified," said Nel.

Gwebu confirmed.

Nel asked him why he did not mention the derogatory word used against him to police on the night.

Gwebu first told the court he omitted it and later blamed the police for leaving it out of the statement.

"Why, this is [now] the main issue you have about the night," asked Nel.

"I forgot about it," replied Gwebu.

The matter continues.


Source : Sapa /ag/jk/ks/aa
Date : 04 Aug 2014 15:00
 
'Racist attack' - FS students not guilty

'Racist attack' - FS students not guilty

Johannesburg - Two men accused of assaulting a fellow student on the University of the Free State's Bloemfontein campus were found not guilty by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Tuesday, the university said.

Cobus Muller faced charges of reckless driving, crimen injuria, attempted murder and assault, while Charl Blom faced a charge of assault. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The State alleged the two tried to run over Muzi Gwebu with their bakkie on the campus in February. When Gwebu confronted the two moments afterwards, they allegedly assaulted him.

"We note the magistrate's concerns about 'inconsistencies in the evidence and exaggerations', that the complainant 'displayed hostility throughout the trial' and that he was 'not a reliable witness and is prejudiced'," the UFS said in a statement.

"Therefore, in the words of the magistrate to the defendants, 'I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt'."

Last week, the SA Human Rights Commission found it was "unable to find any corroborating evidence to make a conclusive finding of racism and violation of human rights", in Gwebu's case.

The UFS on Tuesday said in light of the ruling and the SAHRC findings, the suspension of both men from the university's campuses was lifted with immediate effect.

Muller was allowed to attend his graduation ceremony for a BSc construction management degree. He completed the degree last year but was not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony in April this year due to his suspension.

Blom was allowed to return to university to complete his studies.

"[Given] the ruling by the SAHRC, as well as the Bloemfontein Regional Court, the university will not continue with its disciplinary action against Muller and Blom," the UFS said.

The UFS's vice-chancellor and rector, Jonathan Jansen, said he was glad the matter was over.

"This has been a very difficult time for the university and I am pleased to record that throughout the crisis, the student body on the Bloemfontein Campus showed remarkable restraint and discipline, confirming also the broad, non-racial character of the peaceful protests that followed.

"Our student body has matured and our campus cultures are much more inclusive and transformed as a result of the quality and depth of student leadership over the past few years," he said.

- SAPA
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Racist-attack-FS-students-not-guilty-20140909
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Cry wolf to often maybe
 
White brown yellow black, I judge a person by their behaviour and education/morals - not their skin colour.
 
They should countersue for lost income due to not being able to complete their studies because of the complaint.
 
P924 said:
They should countersue for lost income due to not being able to complete their studies because of the complaint.
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I heard that one of the parents are claiming R200K from the university.
I think they said for legal and traveling costs.
Don't have a link.
Heard it on the radio.
 
Racism sounds like the least of the severity of the charges, were they also dropped?
 
UFS students wrongfully accused of racist attack want R1 million from Jonathan Jansen

Two former University of Free State students are demanding compensation of R500,000 each from UFS Rector Professor Jonathan Jansen after they were suspended from the University for allegedly racially assaulting a student.

Cobus Muller and Charl Blom were acquitted of all charges last year by a court and the South African Human Rights Commission, and now they are seeking compensation for delayed access to the labour market, and the impairment to their dignity as a result of having been expelled.

“Muller and Blom were barred from campus without procedure or trial and never given an opportunity to state their case. During this time they were publicly labelled as criminals. They could not continue their postgraduate studies or attend their graduation ceremony,” Henk Maree, National Chairman of AfriForum Youth, said.

"The parties have been given two weeks to pay out the compensation.” Afriforum was said in a statement

If the compensation amount is not paid out within the given two week deadline, a subpoena will be served on Prof Jansen and the UFS.
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http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/20...t-attack-want-r1-million-from-jonathan-jansen
 
Interesting! Looky here....

1044890029.jpg

Assault about race, says Free State student

http://m.sowetanlive.co.za/?articleId=12376348&sectionId=32

A fifth year student at the University of the Free State told the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday that the discussion around his alleged assault should focus on race.
"The discussion here should be about race, because of my black skin and their white skin,” Muzi Gwebu told regional magistrate Rasheed Matthews.

Two fellow students Cobus Muller and Charl Blom face charges in relation to an alleged assault and reckless driving incident involving Gwebu.

Muller faces charges of reckless driving, crimen injuria, attempted murder and assault, while Blom faces a charge of assault.

The State indicated the two students tried to run over Gwebu with their bakkie on the university's Bloemfontein campus in February.

When Gwebu confronted the two students moments after this, he was allegedly assaulted.

Muller and Blom have pleaded not guilty to the respective charges.

During cross-examination on Monday, the two students' legal counsel Johann Nel submitted to Gwebu that his racial prejudice in the matter kept coming forward during questioning.

The court heard Gwebu questioned a medical report because a white doctor was involved. Nel asked him why did he not get a second medical opinion.

Gwebu answered that he had done so. He had phoned a politician.

“You phoned a political person. [That is] not a medical opinion,” Nel submitted.

Closing his cross-examination Nel indicated various contradictions in Gwebu's statement to police and his testimony in court.

Asked for comment, Gwebu repeatedly told Nel the defence was continuously trying to find contradictions where there were none.

“You are trying to contradict yourself,” Gwebu said.

Nel told the court Muller and Blom denied they had collided with Mwebu on purpose. They also denied that they were the aggressors on the night of the alleged incident.

The defence submitted Muller denied he used the derogatory word “k****r".

Gwebu claimed he heard the word that night.

The defence further submitted Gwebu was the aggressor at the scene of the alleged assault in front of the Armentum hostel.

“You opened the [driver's] door and tried to get the driver out of the car…you tried to drag him out from behind the steering wheel,” said Nel.

The court heard that Muller, who was driving, did headbutt the man who tried to pull him out of the vehicle "to get you away from him".

Nel told the court Blom saw a man grabbing Muller and intervened by pulling him away while telling Muller to get away from the scuffle.

“Your version is false,” Nel told Gwebu.

The plaintiff denied it and repeatedly said the defence's statements were “100 percent, false”.

Gwebu also twice denied he was under the influence of alcohol on the night of the incident.

“I never took a sip of alcohol,” Gwebu told the court.

The matter was postponed for the State to call another witness on 13 August 2014.
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False attempted murder charge by black student Damane Muzi Gwebu against Afrikaner students Cobus Muller and Charl Blom: advocate asks court for dismissal

Read more at http://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2624#OLSLmZE3zUcvSbIl.99

False attempted murder charge by black student Damane Muzi Gwebu against Afrikaner students Cobus Muller and Charl Blom: advocate asks for dismissal
Damane Muzi Gwebu 21, black accuser of 2 Afrikaner students Cobus Muller and Charl Blom, is a 'race-obsessed liar'- Bloemfontein regional court hears that the hospital did not show any medical notes indicating claimed 'head, facial or leg injuries' which were allegedly sustained in the alleged assault incident at Free State University.
Bloemfontein Regional Court, August 29 2014
Defence council Advocate Johann Nel pleaded that the court drop the charges against two Afrikaner students Cobus Muller and Charl Blom, charged with attempted culpible homicide by fellow-student
Damane Muzi Gwebu 21.

"He lies as it suits his story':
Gwebu claimed that the two Afrikaner students tried to 'kill him, assaulted and cursed him,' however Gwebu is a 'race-obsessed liar, said Advocate Johann Nel in the Bloemfontein regional court.
"He lies as it suits his story,' said Nel to regional magistrate Rasheed Matthews.
"And against the background of his racial obsessions (towards whites) he treats everyone with suspicion'.
Nel closed his defence against Muller and Blom without offering any evidence for the defence. He merely asked for their discharge.
"The State cannot accept the gaps in the weak quality of this case,' he said: noting that the State was unable to prove who was driving the bakkie which allegedly had struck Gwebu on the evening of
17 February 2014 on a sidewalk of the Free State University campus. "Gwebu testified that accused Cobus Muller had been driving it - however two female students, eye-witnesses, testified that it was Blom who drove.'
Gwebu testified that 'the vehicle had struck him, and that he fell down into the dust and that the blood spattered around. Then he struggled to follow the vehicle.'
However the two female students testified in their first statement that Gwebu was not struck by the bakkie, and that he also did not fall down.
Gwebu further testified at first that he had been injured to his head because he was 'headbutted' by Cobus Muller.
"But then he changed his mind and testified that no, the head injury was due to his falling to the ground,' Nel pointed out.
There was no record that he had sustained a leg injury on the medical records which were made that night at the hospital - and neither did the medical report mention any head-injuries or facial injuries which he said he had sustained during the 'attack'.
Nel: "Then he made the ridiculous accusation to claim that 'the signs of the injuries only were noticable 36 hours after the alleged incident...'
Regional court magistrate Matthews reluctantly granted a request from State Advocate Adam Mohlala that another witness be brought in to testify as to who was driving the bakkie.
Picture in http://www.Volksblad.com shows Charl Blom and Cobus Muller at the Bloemfontein regional court appearance.
Read more at http://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2624#OLSLmZE3zUcvSbIl.99
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http://www.dumelangnews.co.za/articles/tables-turn-ufs-racism-victim-after-adv-nel-calls-him-racist’


01_49.jpg

Monday marked one hundred and sixty nine days since the day Muzi Gwebu alleged that he was intentionally knocked down by a ‘flying car’ that was driven by a ‘racist driver’. Gwebu also alleged that the driver later asked his co-accused to grab him with both his hands behind while he launched multiple uppercut blows on his face.

Despite the many days that have gone past since that fateful night, February, 17, at Armentum Hostel, Gwebu still failed to bottle up his emotions earlier this week, when he recalled what had allegedly transpired.

The alleged racism victim broke down into tears when he narrated his ordeal before Magistrate Rasheed Mathews while being cross-examined by the two accused’s defence Advocate Johann Nel. The Magistrate was forced to adjourn the court for ten minutes so as to allow this fifth year B Com Economics student at the University of Free State (UFS) time to calm down.

“The vehicle was moving at a very high speed when it hit me. I can describe the way it moved as ‘flying’. Flying at a high speed. I was walking on the pavement and tried to move my leg out of the way but I was unfortunate as it got me.

I fell on my left side with the shoulder and ribcage area hitting the ground. The car went past me and they reversed while I was on the ground trying to get up,” the victim recalled. He went on further to explain that the driver and the passenger did not try to help him but instead they just stopped the car after reversing to him and laughed at him before they drove off the scene. “The driver peeped through the window to see me and immediately had a conversation in Afrikaans with the passenger (co-accused) and they then laughed,” he said adding that they also called him with the derogatory K word.

He told the court that he followed the car to get its registration and to have a talk with the driver about the incident only to find that he was going into the ‘lion’s den’ that were going to attack him.

“When I arrived at their hostel I found them in a car. I asked the driver why they hit me with the car. The driver did not reply to me. He only spoke to the passenger in Afrikaans. The passenger got out of the car and held my hands from behind and the driver got out of the car. I told the passenger: ‘Please, leave me. You are getting yourself in trouble.’ He did not reply to me. I was trying to free myself from his grip,” Gwebu added.

Advocate Nel put it to the victim that he was speaking with a ‘fork tongue’ as he allegedly told the court that he omitted to mention in detail how he was gravely demeaned and insulted by the two accused. “As you will recall, all of the things that I have said today are not in the affidavit. I cannot teach the police how to write an affidavit,” the victim had responded.

The case took a new twist when the victim who alleged that he was beaten by racist was told that he is a racist not the accused. “You are a racist! Your evidence is indicative of your racial attitude,” Advocate Nel told the victim.

He added: “I did not find any reference that you were assaulted or insulted at any particular time. What concerns me is that, you felt demeaned and insulted. Yet you did not tell the police about this alleged insults. You claim you were gravely demeaned.”

Accused number one Cobus Muller faces four charges which includes crimen injuria, attempted murder, assault and reckless driving while Blom only faces a charge of assault. It was remanded to August 13, this year.
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http://www.lawlibrary.co.za/notice/updates/2014/issue_23/recentjudgments_magcourts.htm

Bloemfontein

'Racist attack' : FS students not guilty - 9 September
Two men accused of assaulting a fellow student on the University of the Free State's Bloemfontein campus were found not guilty by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Tuesday, the university said. Cobus Muller faced charges of reckless driving, crimen injuria, attempted murder and assault, while Charl Blom faced a charge of assault. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges. The State alleged the two tried to run over Muzi Gwebu with their bakkie on the campus in February. "We note the magistrate's concerns about 'inconsistencies in the evidence and exaggerations', that the complainant 'displayed hostility throughout the trial' and that he was 'not a reliable witness and is prejudiced'," the UFS said in a statement. The UFS on Tuesday said in light of the ruling and the SAHRC findings, the suspension of both men from the university's campuses was lifted with immediate effect. - News24 website

9 September 2014
UFS responds on the outcome of the court case in the alleged attack by Cobus Muller and Charl Blom on Gwebu
Statement issued by Lacea Loader, Director : Communication and Brand Management, University of the Free State on the Politicsweb website

See also :

Another race attack at top university - 20 February
In an apparent racist attack, two white students at the University of the Free State allegedly drove deliberately over a black student and repeatedly beat him when he confronted them. University of Free State rector Jonathan Jansen condemned the most recent attack. "It is sad and disappointing that, after so much progress with the social transformation of the university, such a horrific incident could have occurred. If found guilty in the criminal and institutional investigations, the students will not be allowed to study at the university", he said. Jansen questioned whether the attack was, in fact, racially motivated, but said the university was investigating. - Times Live website

19 February 2014
UFS acts fast in expelling students for serious misconduct
Statements issued by Lacea Loader, Director : Communication and Brand Management, University of the Free State on the Politicsweb website

Racist attack played down : student - 1 March
The victim of an alleged racist attack at University of the Free State has lashed out at the university and its management, accusing them of being more concerned about the damage to its reputation than his impaired dignity and hurtful experience. Damane Muzi Gwebu, a final-year student BCom Economics student, was treated for several injuries on Monday last week after he was run over with a bakkie by two students, Cobus Muller and Charl Blom, on campus in an alleged racism attack. - IOL website
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