Van Dyk Park residents are still reeling after a daylight shooting in which a fellow resident narrowly escaped with his life when his bakkie was riddled with bullets in the driveway of his home on Klapper Street.

Neighbours described the incident, which unfolded on February 5, as deeply unsettling, saying the sound of gunfire in the mid-morning shattered the sense of normality in the usually quiet street in the suburb.

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It has sparked renewed concerns about safety and the protection of people linked to high-profile investigations.

“It doesn’t happen here,” one neighbour said, adding that the street is typically quiet, with families and long-time residents who know one another.

Several residents said they heard multiple shots shortly before 10:00 and rushed outside to see what was happening, some initially believing the noise was fireworks or a misfiring car.

Residents who witnessed the shooting say the moments of terror felt like a movie scene.

One neighbour, who asked not to be identified, said she initially thought the sounds were harmless. “I thought it was a car misfiring or fireworks,” she said. “But when it kept going off, I ran outside.”

She said she saw the victim limping and rushed to help, acting on instinct. “With one of his hands touching his leg, he told me he thought he’d been shot. I wasn’t even thinking about my own safety at the time. I just ran to assist, but later I realized how dangerous the situation was,” she said.

Another resident said when he arrived, the victim was disoriented and in shock.  “We moved him into the yard because we didn’t know if the attackers would come back,” he said.

“Paramedics later checked him and confirmed a scratch on his leg was not a bullet wound.”

Several neighbours described escaping the attack unhurt as miraculous, given the number of shots that were fired.

“The way he managed to get out of the car and hide underneath it – it’s a miracle,” one resident said. “It’s unbelievable that only the cover saved his life from the hail of bullets.”

Others said the presence of a small child inside the house at the time made the incident even more distressing.

“What if the children had been in the car?” a neighbour asked. “That’s what keeps playing in my mind.”

Residents described the victim as a quiet, family-oriented man known for helping others and being involved in community policing structures, including the CPF and CPI.

“He never caused trouble,” one neighbour said. “He’s a good father, a good husband, and a good man.”

Investigation

According to police, the victim was about to enter his property when occupants of a Toyota Vitz opened fire on him before fleeing the scene. His vehicle was struck 16 times, and he survived by taking cover beneath it. He was not seriously injured.

Neighbours say the attack has forced residents to think about how vulnerable they felt in a place they had considered safe.

A resident, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, said: “This shook all of us. It’s not something we’re used to here. We have community patrols, CPF and CPI involvement, and security companies that are active day and night.”

Police have confirmed that a case of attempted murder is under investigation and that the motive for the shooting has not yet been established.

However, a reliable source previously indicated that the victim’s name had been mentioned during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, in relation to an ongoing Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation.

That possible link has raised concern among residents, with some questioning whether people associated with sensitive investigations are receiving adequate protection.

The shooting has also renewed calls for tighter access control in the suburb, including the long-discussed installation of boom gates.

“If the area were enclosed, it would be easier to monitor access,” said another resident.

Despite the fear and many unanswered questions, residents expressed relief that the victim survived and that no one else, including family members who were inside the home at the time, was injured.

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