Johannesburg, Mar 14 (IANS): A black South African TV and radio presenter has claimed that he was the victim of a racially motivated attack after stopping to help a group of white people whose car had overturned.

Samora Mangesi tweeted photos of the injuries he sustained in the alleged assault in Johannesburg which he said happened last week. The TV host claimed that he and his two female friends were called "monkeys", the BBC reported on Thursday.

"On Friday night I was the victim of a racially motivated attack. After stopping to check on a group of young white people whose car had overturned, they called my friends and I ‘monkeys'. When we engaged them on why we were being called such, they beat me up until I was unconscious," Mangesi claimed in a Twitter thread on Wednesday.

"Even whilst I was being put in the ambulance, one of these guys tried to run my friend over with his bakkie and the paramedics had to intervene."

Mangesi was knocked unconscious after he was allegedly kicked and punched, suffering injuries to his face, cuts inside his mouth and bruising along the left side of his body, the report said.

In the days following the attack, Mangesi said his memory was "very sporadic".

"As much as they say I was awake, I don't remember being in the ambulance, arriving at the hospital nor much of the treatment."

Mangesi said he thought about "letting it go and just continuing with my life", but later reported the incident to the police.

News of the assault sparked anger on local social media and calls for a police investigation, the BBC said.