A 22-year-old man accused of attacking a female student teacher, in what seemed to be a road rage incident, briefly appeared in the Batho Court in Bloemfontein on Friday 12 June, with the case postponed to Wednesday 15 July for further investigation. Phemelo Mochoari was released on a warning and ordered to reappear in court as scheduled.

He was not asked to plead during his appearance in the packed courtroom. In attendance were the Free State MEC for Police and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, representatives of organisations against gender-based violence (GBV), and students of the University of the Free State (UFS).

Mochoari faces a charge of common assault following an attack on Masego Mogorosi (21) on Wednesday 11 June, as depicted in a video that went viral on social media platforms hours after the incident.

In the video he is seen taking off the cap he was wearing and using it to hit the victim. He then slapped her across the face. The slapping was repeated while Mogorosi was walking away. During all this, others tried to intervene.

Mochoari is represented by a legal practitioner of Legal Aid South Africa.

In the video, the victim can be seen and heard having a heated verbal confrontation with two adults – a man and a woman – who were travelling in a VW vehicle. As tempers flared, the confrontation turned physical, with the young man seen attacking Mogorosi.

“We strongly plead for calm and space to allow the police investigation to take its natural course.

“The SAPS views all acts of violence, particularly against the vulnerable, in

a serious light and is committed to ensuring that justice is served,” said

Sgt Mahlomola Kareli, spokesperson for the Free State police.

Masego is a student teacher of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Bloemfontein campus and is attached with nine others to the Lekhulong Secondary School in Rocklands as part of their experiential teaching programme.

BloemNewsExpress established that she was in the company of three other student teachers when the incident occurred. It happened in Mojatau Street during their lunch break.

The four, including Mogorosi, have since discontinued their programme following their withdrawal from the school as a safety measure.

The victim described the traumatic incident in a Facebook post.

According to the post, while walking with her three colleagues to get lunch from an outlet near the school, they were confronted by a driver who allegedly failed to indicate and was driving dangerously close to the pavement.

“Concerned about our safety, we attempted to address the matter with the driver. However, instead of acknowledging our concerns, he allegedly became aggressive and threatened me,” the victim wrote.

The attack on Mogorosi has sparked public outrage, with the Free State MEC for Education, Dr Mamiki Maboya, condemning the incident.

“I am disgusted by this cowardly, criminal attack on our young female educators. Our student teachers enter our classrooms to build futures and shape minds, not to fear for their safety or endure violence. We will not tolerate, excuse, or normalise any form of violence against educators,” said Maboya.