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Two suspects will appear for the alleged murder of Free State farm manager Brendin Horner.
PHOTO: Facebook / Brendin Horner
- Different political parties and organizations are expected to arrive in the small town of Senekal in the eastern Free State to protest on Friday.
- This coincides with the second court appearance of the two men accused of murdering farm manager Brendin Horner on a farm in Paul Roux.
- Residents fear that racial tensions will spill over and lead to violence.
The court appearance Friday of two men accused of murdering 21-year-old Brendin Horner on a farm in the eastern Free State has instilled a sense of fear and dread among those who call Senekal home.
Sekwetje Mahlamba, 32, and Sekola Matlaletsa, 44, were expected to make their second appearance at Senekal Magistrates Court on Friday, when protesters from different political parties and organizations descend on the small town.
His previous court appearance on October 6 ended in chaos when a small group of protesters stormed the court buildings in an attempt to reach the accused.
During the riot, shots were fired, a police vehicle overturned and allegedly set fire, and damage to judicial property was reported.
Andre Pienaar, a local Senekal resident, had since been arrested for public violence and incitement to violence.
While Horner’s murder outraged farmers, farming communities, and different organizations, the court unrest infuriated the likes of the EFF and the ANC Youth League.
READ | Farm Killing Protests: A Second ‘Battle of Senekal’ Looming?
Since then, racial tension had been heightened by different groups talking about the murder and subsequent riots, which had become highly politicized.
Residents of Senekal and neighboring small towns, including Paul Roux, where Horner was found murdered, fear that racial tensions will spill over and lead to violent clashes.
“It is very easy for something to go wrong,” a resident who did not want to be named told News24.
“We are dealing with human beings. It would be terrible if an idiot on either side did something stupid like draw a gun.”
READ | Brendin Horner: a young man who would do everything possible to help those in need
The man said he was terrified that something would happen, believing that all the groups involved should be fighting crime and not each other.
People at the Senekal fairgrounds in the Free State praying for peace before the court appearance of the two men accused of murdering Brendin Horner.
News24 PHOTO: Alex Mitchley / News24
“Address the issues and don’t make them a racial or political issue,” he added.
Scared
Another group of residents said they were scared by the court case and did not want anything violent to happen in their small town.
One woman added that crime in the area affected both white and black people and that it had never been a political problem, much less a racial one.
Several farmers in the area, both black and white, echoed the same sentiment and refused to go to court on Friday because they would not get involved in the dispute.
Scenes outside Senekal’s court during the previous appearance.
Netwerk24 PHOTO: Cheréne Pienaar / Netwerk24
The farmers argued that the issue in question was crime and not race. This had been repeated by various farmers, including Herkie Viljoen, Jess de Klerk, Richard Mashinini, and Selena Mosai, since Horner’s murder.
READ | Uncompromising Malema EFF will be in Senekal court on Friday when Brendin Horner suspects show up again
On Wednesday, a group of black and white pastors prayed for unity before the court case and collectively said there was no need for a civil war, especially in the eastern Free State.
Pastor John Mathuhle told the media that a civil war would not be allowed to start in Senekal.
He said that many locals felt intimidated and concerned for their safety after the recent events.
“The murder of Brendin provoked a lot of emotions,” Mathuhle said.
“We don’t tolerate what happened on Tuesday, but this shouldn’t, and it’s not about the race,” he added.
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