Members of lobby group AfriForum protested at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday against what it called “double standards” in the manner in which racism was being dealt with in South Africa.

“We are protesting about the fact that there are double standards regarding the issue of race in our country. We are here today to support Carel Kruger who was assaulted by two people who were driving in a taxi, and he was hit with a brick. That incident got no big attention,” AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel said outside court.

“A few days after that incident, in the same Montana area, a female, Carine van Staden, was shot brutally but it got no attention. When the KFC incident happened, it got huge attention. We also condemned that KFC attack but what we need to do is, all these attacks get condemned in the same manner.”

Kriel said the only difference in the attacks was that there was widespread outrage against the KFC attack only, where a black couple, Jacob Sono and his wife Dudu, were allegedly assaulted by a group of white men. The group of five men were appearing in court on Wednesday, with three of them seeking release on bail.

The KFC attack happened earlier this month at a KFC drive-through in Montana, north of Pretoria and videos of the incident have gone viral on social media. It has trended on Twitter with the hashtag #KFCAssault.

“Unfortunately in our society, it seems that if incidents where white people are victims don’t get the same attention. We say equality before the law, down with all issues of racism, and let’s condemn all attacks where race plays a role. We should not select a few because that is simply double standards,” said Kriel.

He said it was untrue that AfriForum only selectively condemned incidents where only white people were victims.

“After the KFC incident, we came out and strongly condemned the incident. It’s unfortunate that many people, the so-called black Twitter, condemning the Minister of Police [Fikile Mbalula] and condemning it [the incident], it had huge attention but people should do what AfriForum does – condemn all these attacks and don’t simply choose a few, that’s double standards,” said Kriel.

“We believe that he [Mbalula] is reckless because Carel Kruger was attacked by two black people, he did not say anything, saying it’s a racial attack. He uses different methods to condemn violence. The police minister should set an example, and it’s irresponsible of him not to set that example.”

Asked if AfriForum believed the KFC attack was not racially motivated, Kriel said it was up to the courts to decide.

“The problem I have is that every time a white person does something stupid and attacks a black person, it is immediately seen as racist. We are saying, do not see it immediately as a race issue, but if you are going to see it immediately as a race issue, see attacks on white people as racist immediately as well. Let the law take its course and we will see if it was a racial issue or not,” he said.

Kriel said racism cannot be against black people only, because white people also suffered incidents of racism.

AfriForum said its protest on Wednesday was coinciding with the court appearance of the two men who allegedly violently attacked Kruger, hitting him with a brick.