A Gonubie pensioner told the East London Magistrate’s Court how he was called a “k****r”, spat on and kicked to the ground by his two white neighbours in December last year.
Pumelele Dyasi testified against his Wilson Street neighbours Jacques Cariesel, 38, and Dennis de Lange, 46.
The two men face charges including assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, pointing a firearm, spitting, trespassing and crimen injuria.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
Dyasi told magistrate Leon Kemp that on the night of December 2, he had arrived home after 10pm, and opened a gate to drive his car into his yard.
He said his dogs had run out his gates and barked at the neighbours dogs, which were behind a gate.
He called his dogs back to his property and closed the gates.
He said while walking into his house he heard the voices of two men saying “the k****r dogs live here”.
“They forced opened the gate and confronted me in my yard.
“ was armed with a firearm. He said he was going to shoot and kill my dogs and me. “He called me a k****r who behaved like President Jacob Zuma and he said I feel entitled, like the ANC,” Dyasi told the magistrate.
He said he had asked the two men to leave his property.
“ then spat on my face and the men started punching me until I fell to the ground.
“While I was on the ground they kicked me with booted feet,” Dyasi said.
He said it was at this point that “a white woman arrived and asked the men to stop beating me”.
The woman in question is Nadia Cariesel, who the defence has lined up as a witness in the case.
Asked by Mlungu if anyone else had witnessed the incident, Dyasi replied: “No because my wife was in the house with the TV playing. She did not hear or see anything.”
During cross-examination, East London attorney Andre Schoombee, who is representing the two accused, asked: “When accused two spat on you, what did you do?”
Dyasi replied: “I punched him!”
Schoombee: “You actually assaulted accused two?”
Dyasi: “When he spat on me I took it that he wanted me to retaliate so that they can assault me.
“I knew something was going to happen after he spat on me.”
Schoombee: “Are you saying he provoked you?”
Dyasi: “Yes, they had already entered my premises without my permission.”
Schoombee: “So you hit them because they entered your property? You actually started the fight.”
Dyasi: “He spat on me. He started the fight, hence I hit him and I was scared and had already given up on my life, I was ready for whatever they were going to do with me.”
The case was postponed to July 25 for further evidence. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Barking dogs spark racial attack
Pumelele Dyasi testified against his Wilson Street neighbours Jacques Cariesel, 38, and Dennis de Lange, 46.
The two men face charges including assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, pointing a firearm, spitting, trespassing and crimen injuria.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
Dyasi told magistrate Leon Kemp that on the night of December 2, he had arrived home after 10pm, and opened a gate to drive his car into his yard.
He said his dogs had run out his gates and barked at the neighbours dogs, which were behind a gate.
He called his dogs back to his property and closed the gates.
He said while walking into his house he heard the voices of two men saying “the k****r dogs live here”.
“They forced opened the gate and confronted me in my yard.
“ was armed with a firearm. He said he was going to shoot and kill my dogs and me. “He called me a k****r who behaved like President Jacob Zuma and he said I feel entitled, like the ANC,” Dyasi told the magistrate.
He said he had asked the two men to leave his property.
“ then spat on my face and the men started punching me until I fell to the ground.
“While I was on the ground they kicked me with booted feet,” Dyasi said.
He said it was at this point that “a white woman arrived and asked the men to stop beating me”.
The woman in question is Nadia Cariesel, who the defence has lined up as a witness in the case.
Asked by Mlungu if anyone else had witnessed the incident, Dyasi replied: “No because my wife was in the house with the TV playing. She did not hear or see anything.”
During cross-examination, East London attorney Andre Schoombee, who is representing the two accused, asked: “When accused two spat on you, what did you do?”
Dyasi replied: “I punched him!”
Schoombee: “You actually assaulted accused two?”
Dyasi: “When he spat on me I took it that he wanted me to retaliate so that they can assault me.
“I knew something was going to happen after he spat on me.”
Schoombee: “Are you saying he provoked you?”
Dyasi: “Yes, they had already entered my premises without my permission.”
Schoombee: “So you hit them because they entered your property? You actually started the fight.”
Dyasi: “He spat on me. He started the fight, hence I hit him and I was scared and had already given up on my life, I was ready for whatever they were going to do with me.”
The case was postponed to July 25 for further evidence. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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