The cell phone video that showed Victor Mlotshwa being forced into a coffin sparked public outrage.
Social media went into overdrive with people calling for swift action against the suspects.
The case attracted a lot of attention and the courtroom was always packed and political parties also attended court proceedings regularly.
The accused Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Martins Jackson claimed that they had to act against the victim, Victor Mlotshwa actions, alleging that he had threatened to burn their crops and murder their wives and children.
During the trail his Jackson said he never considered what they did to Mlotshwa as wrong.
However Judge Segopotje Mphahlele found the accused guilty of assault, attempted murder, kidnapping and intimidation.
The state described what happened to Mlotshwa as inhumane, something that shouldn’t be allowed in a democratic South Africa.
State Prosecutor Robert Molokoane says:”The vicious attack on Mlotshwa was racially motivated, there is no doubt about that, the accused are not even showing remorse, they even used the K word when attacking Mlotshwa.”
Jackson and Oosthuizen have petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeals to have their conviction and sentences overturned.
They applied and failed to get bail, pending the appeal. The pair’s families and their defence were disappointed.
Jackson and Oosthuizen were sentenced to between 11 and 14 years in jail for their roles in the incident that made headlines.
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