Brutal tavern assault in Pietermaritzburg: Two men arrested

Two men have been arrested and charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a severe attack on a woman at a Pietermaritzburg tavern, which was captured on CCTV footage and widely shared on social media.

“The two African males, aged 43 and 36 years old, handed themselves over to the police at the Plessislaer Police Station on Sunday, January 4,” police spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu confirmed.  

They subsequently appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday; however, the motive for the brutal assault remains unclear.

The shared footage shows the woman, dressed in all white, standing near a table, seemingly texting on her phone, when the initial attacker, a man in a blue t-shirt and white shorts, storms into the frame. 

He charges at her and delivers a blow to her face, causing her to fall onto her back. He then kneels over her, pinning her with his knees next to her shoulders, and delivers numerous punches to her face. The woman is seen attempting to defend herself by covering her face, but the man repeatedly removes her hands to continue the assault.

Two men entered the area and witnessed the attack; one of them attempted to pull the assailant off the woman, but was assaulted for intervening. Subsequently, an accomplice of the primary attacker began kicking the woman, who was now pinned against a railing, specifically kicking her face and lower body, before others pulled him away.

The attackers and the interveners briefly disappeared into another section of the tavern. A woman then went to the victim and tried to help her up, but the two men returned, causing the woman to quickly leave. The assailants continued assaulting the victim before leaving the way they had entered.

The date for their next court appearance had not been made available by the police at the time of publication.

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za