Pretoria - The EFF supporter who was allegedly assaulted outside the Brackenfell High School in Cape Town in November 2020, is suing the alleged perpetrators for R5 million for his “suffering”.
In what appears to have been a racial spat, Luvuyo Ntakane was in a fist fight with a group of parents who defended the school from a march by the EFF, after it allegedly only invited white pupils to a matric farewell party.
The incident, captured on video, went viral, showing Ntakane in a fist fight with Jaco Pretorius and Dante van Wyk among others.
Pretorius and Van Wyk were later charged, with the latter being acquitted of all charges, but the former being found guilty and issued a fine and a six-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty.
Last week, via his lawyers Gardee Godrich Attorneys, Ntakana demanded R5 million from both men for damages.
Gardee yesterday said the conclusion of the criminal court proceedings did not absolve the due from the human rights violation. “We’re going to hold them liable in a civil rights case.”
The letter accuses both men of infringing on all the human rights of Ntakana – his right to human dignity, freedom and security, privacy, belief and opinion, freedom to assemble, protest and petition, freedom of association, and his political rights.
Letters addressed to the pair read in part: “Your conduct inflicted immense physical pain and violated the bodily integrity of our client. You have shocked the family and the nation.
“You have traumatised our client and his family, defamed his name, rendered his person less of a human being and committed crimen injuria all pursuant to racial prejudices.
“The country comes from a shameful past, a racial apartheid society where white supremacy akin to Ku Klux Klan would assault Africans, unprovoked … ” reads the letter.
Ntakana alleges the two hurled insults at him, including the k-word, and threatened to shoot him. He said Pretorius was arrested after firing shots in the air. Pretorius referred enquiries to his legal representative, Millie Westley. Westley said via text: “In a meeting.”
A Twitter account whose holder is “Die Patriot” said in Afrikaans: “Kry ’n e-pos van Gardee Godrich prokureurs. Die ennetjie wat ek gemoker het met die EFF Brackenfell saga dagvaar my vir R5 miljoen.
Hulle is mal as hulle dink ek gee hul ’n sent, hul kan 5 miljoen klappe kom kry!”
Loosely translated: “Today I got an email from Gardee Goodrich attorneys. The one I slapped during the EFF Brackenfell saga is suing me for R5m. They are mad if they think I’ll give them a cent. They can come and fetch 5 million slaps,” said the tweet suspected to belong to one of the men.
Their legal representative Millie Westley declined to comment, saying her clients had not given any instruction.
Pretoria News