Image Source: The Citizen
Tzaneen – Following the recent acid bomb attack at the Tzaneen Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, Mohammed Bham, a resident of Tzaneen, stated that they are unsure of the exact motive behind the incident, though racial intent is suspected.
The attack occurred on a Friday night after Salah, when congregants were making their way home along a road predominantly inhabited by Muslim families.
Teenage boys from a neighbouring household threw acid bombs over a wall, striking one brother on his knee and eye. The victim has since received treatment and is recovering well.
The loud impact of the acid bombs sent congregants rushing to the scene, believing a gunshot had been fired. A large crowd gathered outside the suspect’s home, demanding he come out.
When police arrived, they detained the suspect, though Bham noted the detention was primarily to prevent the crowd from confronting him.
“We later found out, obviously, they detained him more to protect him from anyone assaulting him or hurting him.”
Motive Remains Unclear
The family of the suspect left their home following the incident, making it impossible for either the community or police to engage with them.
The teenagers had taunted the crowd at the scene, insisting their age protected them from any legal consequences.
“We don’t know what the motive was exactly. They are obviously teenage boys or under 18 from what we know. And they were quite adamant that because they were teenagers, nothing could be done to them.”
Peaceful Coexistence Shattered
The Tzaneen Mosque has stood for 21 years on a street shared with six churches within a one-kilometre radius. The community had enjoyed peaceful interfaith relations for two decades, making the attack a shock to residents.
Bham stopped short of labelling the attack Islamophobic, though he did not rule out a racial dimension.
“We don’t know the motive, but from what we can see, it probably was racial. I don’t want to use the word Islamophobia yet because we cannot say that that was the case.”
Investigations Gain Momentum
Despite a slow start over the weekend, with the community unable to obtain a case number at the police station, the investigation gained traction once the station commander was notified on Monday.
Broader Muslim organisations, including the Jamiatul Ulama, issued statements of condemnation and support for the Tzaneen community.
“It started off very slow. The progress was really slow. Friday, being a weekend, Saturday morning, there were some issues; we couldn’t get a case number. Eventually, on Monday, once the station commander got involved, we must say it’s picked up momentum quite quickly.”
