Cape Town - An arrest has been made following an apparent racist attack on an instructor at a golf club in Woodmead, north of Johannesburg.
In a statement on their website, the World of Golf said 60-year-old golf instructor Nathan Maluleke was in a serious but stable condition at Sunninghill Hospital after being attacked with a golf club.
“The incident started over racial abuse and regrettably escalated into a full on fight, in which Nathan was severely beaten,” World of Golf said.
Maluleke’s wife, Busi, told the Sowetan: "I had come to pick up my husband from work. I had just arrived and had pulled over in the parking lot.
"As I was getting out of the car for my husband to drive us, we noticed a group that was making a lot of noise, using vulgar language and the K-word was also right up there being used repeatedly."
She said after her husband put his golf bag in the boot, he approached the woman walking behind two young men in the group.
"My husband went there to ask her to tone it down as the language being used was not good for the integrity of the place and was generally offensive," she said.
‘Man admitted to assault’
As he was speaking to the woman, one of the two men turned back and started attacking Maluleke.
"A scuffle broke out, with other patrons trying to intervene. I did not see what happened but all of a sudden Nathan was on the ground bleeding after being hit over the head with a golf club.
"The woman's husband admitted to have continued hitting him and punching him as he showed off his hands to other people," she said.
World of Golf said the family involved are not members but Maluleke’s wife said the owner of the facility “seems to know [them] very well” and tried to convince her not to open a case.
However, in its statement, World of Golf said they were conducting an internal investigation “and will support Nathan in taking all necessary legal steps to ensure justice is done”.
The group said it “deeply abhors the incident” and doesn’t tolerate racism of any nature.
In a statement on their website, the World of Golf said 60-year-old golf instructor Nathan Maluleke was in a serious but stable condition at Sunninghill Hospital after being attacked with a golf club.
“The incident started over racial abuse and regrettably escalated into a full on fight, in which Nathan was severely beaten,” World of Golf said.
Maluleke’s wife, Busi, told the Sowetan: "I had come to pick up my husband from work. I had just arrived and had pulled over in the parking lot.
"As I was getting out of the car for my husband to drive us, we noticed a group that was making a lot of noise, using vulgar language and the K-word was also right up there being used repeatedly."
She said after her husband put his golf bag in the boot, he approached the woman walking behind two young men in the group.
"My husband went there to ask her to tone it down as the language being used was not good for the integrity of the place and was generally offensive," she said.
‘Man admitted to assault’
As he was speaking to the woman, one of the two men turned back and started attacking Maluleke.
"A scuffle broke out, with other patrons trying to intervene. I did not see what happened but all of a sudden Nathan was on the ground bleeding after being hit over the head with a golf club.
"The woman's husband admitted to have continued hitting him and punching him as he showed off his hands to other people," she said.
World of Golf said the family involved are not members but Maluleke’s wife said the owner of the facility “seems to know [them] very well” and tried to convince her not to open a case.
However, in its statement, World of Golf said they were conducting an internal investigation “and will support Nathan in taking all necessary legal steps to ensure justice is done”.
The group said it “deeply abhors the incident” and doesn’t tolerate racism of any nature.
