Two men accused of assaulting a Pretoria East man in a suspected racial attack, will know their fate when the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court rules on their bail application.

Karel Prinsloo and Johannes Stassen are facing charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property and crimen injuria.

Three weeks ago, they allegedly assaulted Thato Lepinka and damaged his vehicle in the parking lot of the Willoway Shopping Centre in Garsfontein, Pretoria.

The state is opposing bail, arguing that the two men could intimidate witnesses and interfere with the investigation. 

The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court reserved judgment on the bail application to Wednesday.

That’s after hearing arguments from the legal teams of the state and the defense. In a video that went viral on social media, a man can be heard swearing and uttering racial slurs in Afrikaans while the victim pleads for mercy. The video shows Lepinka being assaulted and his car being damaged.

The court heard that CCTV recordings of the incident have been deleted before the investigating officer could get it. The state is opposing bail.

The investigating officer has testified that the two men are part of a gang that unleashes violence in the community, an assertion that’s been rubbished by the defense counsel.