Human rights lawyer charged with assault for pointing his finger at a police officer
‘The accused ... did unlawfully and intentionally assault Andries Petrus Swart by pointing him with a finger [sic]’
South African human rights attorney Richard Spoor is well-known for his sharp mind and forthright tongue‚ but now he has run into deep trouble because of his finger — or‚ to be more exact‚ for assaulting a police officer “by pointing him with a finger”. Two weeks ago‚ the Nelspruit-based attorney was involved in a heated verbal encounter with mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe and senior Eastern Cape police commissioner Maj-Gen Andre Swart on the Wild Coast‚ which ended with Spoor being taken off to the local police station and charged with assault. Spoor‚ who represents members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee who are opposed to an Australian-led mineral sands mining project near the village of Xolobeni‚ had complained that anti-mining residents were being marginalised from Mantashe’s public meeting. He later appeared in the Mzamba Magistrate’s Court‚ where the case was remanded to October 25. But now Spoor is back in the news after posting a copy of his charge sheet on Faceb...
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