Pretoria - North West Premier Thandi Modise has welcomed the arrest of two suspects in connection with the racist and Islamophobic attack that led to the death of 27-year-old Muhammad Fayaaz Kazi.
This follows the arrest of one suspect in Hartbeespoort in the North West province on Saturday.
The second suspect handed himself in to the Magaliesberg police station, accompanied by his lawyer on Sunday morning. Both suspects are expected to appear in the Magaliesberg Magistrates Court on tomorrow.
"We commend our police for the speedy arrest and look up to our courts for the law to take to take its course. Justice to be seen to be done for racism and religious intolerance to be nipped in the bud," said Modise.
Anser Mahmood,33, and his deceased nephew Kazi of Ventersdorp were on their way home when they stopped to buy food at a fast-food outlet in Magaliesburg last Monday.
A fight reportedly broke out between Kazi and a group of men after he was mocked over his beard.
The pair were kicked out of the outlet and attacked on the street by a third person who hit Mahmood. Police arrived at the scene and directed the two men to the Magaliesburg police station, where they planned to lay charges.
Kazi then said he wanted to go home. His condition reportedly deteriorated along the way, and he was treated in Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom before being transferred to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, where he was classified as brain dead on arrival.
He was transferred back to Potchefstroom, where he died at 5am on Tuesday. He apparently suffered a subdural haematoma. Kazi was buried on Tuesday.
