By Nomalungelo Booi
Two Nelson Mandela Bay policemen are due back in court in March on charges of attempted murder and the unlawful discharge of a firearm in a public place.
Both men were off-duty at the time of the incident, according to police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa.
Their arrest came after a shocking video emerged on social media last week of a brawl at a filling station in Main Street, Despatch.
The incident occurred at about 5.20am on January 21 and was recorded on a cellphone. The video has since gone viral.
Mawisa said an argument had erupted between a group of people and soon escalated into a physical altercation.
When bystanders tried to intervene and break up the fight, many of them were also allegedly assaulted.
“Two suspects, both 25, were arrested on Friday and appeared in court on the same date.
“They were granted bail of R1,000 each and are due back in court on March 3.”
Prompted further, Mawisa confirmed that both of the arrested men were police officers.
However, she said they were off-duty at the time of the incident.
Their names have not yet been released.
In the video, multiple people can be seen embroiled in a fight. A taxi is parked in the background.
Atlas Security officers are also present after they were called to the scene.
Two people were arrested after a brawl at a garage in Despatch
Image: SCREENSHOT
A shirtless man, wearing only grey shorts, is repeatedly hit with a stick or a sjambok.
The K-word is repeatedly used by more than one person.
Another man not involved in the fight, and who appears to be the person recording the video, tries to assist two women who fall to the ground during the fracas.
He also repeatedly tells them to sit in the car, away from the danger, but they resist.
Speaking in Afrikaans, the man also repeatedly begs everyone to calm down and stop fighting.
When the fighting continues, he says: “Nee man, daar is vroumense hier.” This translates to: “No man, there are women here.”
He then asks for someone to call the police as another shirtless man, wearing pink shorts, allegedly continues to assault another man.
The man’s bakkie is also damaged in the process.
A gunshot is then fired into the air.
“Where are the police? I can’t get my bakkie out of here,” the person seemingly recording the video shouts in Afrikaans.
As the fight dies down, people begin to disperse and the various vehicles are driven off.
Daily Kasi News 