What was meant to be an innocent, and hopefully uneventful walk to the garage for a pack of smokes, turned into a traumatic and brutal act of vigilantism against 38-year-old Mervin Da Costa.

Da Costa is calling upon the help of the Middelburg community for more information on his attackers, who he alleges are members of a community watch group meant to protect and not harm.

In his own words, Da Costa explained how he was walking down Springbok Street at 23:30 on Sunday night a short distance away from Steelcrest High School, when he saw two vehicles – a white Toyota Etios and a charcoal grey Ford Ranger double cab – driving down Lilian Ngoyi Street toward Kanonkop.

The two vehicles turned into Springbok Street to approach him, and the driver of the Ford Ranger then stopped to ask him where he was headed, while the Etios made a U-turn.

“I told them I was on my way to the Sasol Garage, when the driver of the Ford Ranger suddenly opened fire on me with a paintball gun,” Da Costa explained.

According to Da Costa, the driver was aiming for his face, but he managed to turn away and block his face with his arm, resulting in him taking shots to the side of his head, his ear, hand, arm, torso and legs.

“I started seeing white due to the blows on my head and later felt the blows of fists on me too, but I could not see who was hitting me and felt like I was about to lose consciousness.”

According to Da Costa, the man then started screaming slurs at him, and told him that he would kill him if he ever caught him in his area again.
As Da Costa came around after the assault, he started running.

“The driver had emptied the whole cannister on me and was refilling it, but jumped into his bakkie to set after me. I had a bit of a head start and fortunately found shelter behind a tree in a garden nearby.”

Da Costa explained that he hid behind the tree for over an hour, watching the two cars searching for him. After the hour-long wait, it was finally safe for Da Costa to make his way home.

According to Da Costa, the driver of the Ford Ranger had dark hair and a beard and is of a short and stocky build. The other person, he could not identify.

“I am asking for the public’s assistance on identifying my attackers, as well as coming forward if they have ever been assaulted by the same people.
I have opened a case of assault with intent as well as attempted murder, because they used a weapon on me, which is illegal, even if it was just a paintball gun.
I have information that these people are members of a local community watch group and intend on ensuring that they get locked up. These people are there to help the public, not take the law into their own hands or to harm anyone.”

• The Middelburg Observer has confirmed that a case was opened at the Middelburg SAPS.

Anyone with information that could assist in Mervin Da Costa’s case is asked to contact him at 061 151 6493.