A group of women gathered outside the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court in Northern Province on Wednesday demanding that stiff sentences be handed to three people accused of painting a teenaged girl white. The accused – Thelma Strydom, Julia Munyai and Albert Mbezi – were not asked to plead on charges of theft, assault and crimen injuria. All three are out on a warning and the case was postponed to October 31 for further police investigation. The three were arrested after a 14-year-old girl from Mailaskop village was accused of shoplifting at a Pep store and then had her torso and arms painted white. Strydom and Mbezi have since been sacked after Pep Stores internal disciplinary hearing found them guilty of “flagrantly” violating company procedures. The company has placed adverts in national newspapers apologising to South Africa and the girl about the incident.
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