Two charged for murder of South African white supremacist

VENTERSDORP, South Africa – Two suspects appeared in court Tuesday where they were charged with the murder of South African white supremacist leader Eugene Terre’Blanche, a state prosecutor said.

"They have been charged," prosecutor George Baloi told journalists outside the court, where racial tensions had flared earlier between black and white crowds over the killing.

The pair face four charges: murder, the injury of Terre’Blanche’s dignity for allegedly exposing his genitals, house-breaking with intent to rob, and robbery with aggravated circumstances.

"We’re going to aver that after they had assaulted the deceased they pulled down his pants up to his knees and exposed his private parts," said Baloi.

One of the accused was aged 15 and the other was either 27 or 28, he said.

The pair reportedly argued with the Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB) leader over unpaid wages for work on his farm near the small farming town of Ventersdorp where the right-winger was found bludgeoned to death on Saturday.

"We are now at a stage when the inquiry is all but finalized," said Baloi.

Emotions ran high outside the courtroom on Tuesday as hundreds of white supremacists and black people gathered.

The case was postponed until April 14 when the defence will apply for bail for the suspects who remained in custody on Tuesday.

The killing of Terre’Blanche, whose AWB violently opposed South Africa’s 1994 all-race polls, revived fears of racial trouble and a backlash from white extremists ahead of the start of the football World Cup in June.