WATCH: Tempers flare at towing scene

A video has surfaced of two tow truck drivers having a go at each other after a dispute broke out on the N4 between tow truck drivers on the N4 Highway near Schoongezicht in Mpumalanga, Witbank News reports.

A car overturned and ended up in a ditch and Mr Albert Holtzhauzen responded to the scene first and assisted the motorist. Moments later Messrs Marius Nel and Bruce Kirton arrived on scene, followed by Mr Neo Mabelane.

“Neo got out of his bakkie and went to Albert and asked who is first on scene, Albert told him that he was first on scene. He then came over to me and told me that I can be glad I wasn’t first on scene as he wanted to teach me a lesson,” said Nel.

According to Nel and Kirton’s statements, Mabelane proceeded to push Nel, who refrained from retaliating, Mabelane then struck Nel. At this point Kirton stepped in and restrained Mabelane by pinning him to the floor.

A video of the altercation was captured by one of the bystanders showing how Kirton continued to restrain Mabelane until, on loosening his grip, Mabelane retaliated and took a swing at Kirton.

The two men then got into a fist fight, and Mabelane bit Kirton before being struck down only to get up again, this time armed with a bottle.

One of the bystanders then intervened and attempted to calm the fight.

According to Mabelane, when he arrived on scene he claims to have been told that he is black and should go and do his towing in the location.

“They grabbed me by the t-shirt and started beating me, they hit me everywhere,” said Mabelane.

A resident of Schoongezicht, an eye witness to the scene, explained that she and four others saw the events that unfolded.

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“My son arrived on scene and helped where he could before the paramedics and tow drivers arrived. About 20 minutes later another tow driver arrived, he got out of his car and started walking around then said he is going to tow the car. We told him that he can’t just tow it without being told he can tow it and that he arrived late and wanted to take over,” said the woman.

The woman goes on to explain how the tow driver, known as Neo Mabelane, started to pick a fight with Nel.

“He shouldn’t have made such a scene especially since it was an accident scene, he kept provoking Marius and then hit him that’s when the other guy that looked like he does body building stepped in to stop him,” said the woman.

She recalls how, after the fight, Mabelane walked over to his tow truck and grabbed a long chain; residents watching what was about to happen, intervened.

“He wasn’t rude with us but he was extremely rude with the tow drivers and kept calling them names and threatening them, he said this isn’t the end of it to Marius and when we asked him what he meant he just kept quiet,” said the woman.

The woman’s identity has been withheld to preserve her anonymity.

Nel, Kirton and Mabelane have since opened cases of assault. The three tow truck drivers have been arrested and appeared before Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday September 19.

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE

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– Caxton News Service