A father and his 10-year-old daughter were shot and injured in their vehicle during an attack, allegedly following a payment dispute, in the Boschkop area of Pretoria last Thursday (October 8).

Pretoria Rekord reports the incident took place between 13:00 and 14:00, with a high-speed pursuit spanning the distance between Boschkop and Bapsfontein.

According to the child’s mother, her husband suffered a gunshot wound to his arm, while their daughter was shot in the arm and required stitches.

Escape and pursuit

“It is a miracle that we were not killed,” the woman said.

The family’s identities and the name of the alleged shooter are being withheld to protect the minor child.

According to the mother, the shooting followed an unresolved payment dispute between her husband and the man, with who he had previously worked cutting and collecting wood.

She said a worker contacted her husband in August regarding work on a farm and called again last week asking him to inspect the site. The family visited the location after visiting a relative in hospital.

The worker met the family and led them deeper into the farm, saying the property owner was arriving.

A vehicle then approached at high speed. The woman said they recognised the driver as the individual involved in the previous payment dispute.

Confrontation on the farm

She said the driver rushed towards her husband with an axe and threatened him. Her husband and daughter got into their vehicle and began reversing.

She alleged the driver then pulled out a firearm and opened fire as her husband shouted for their daughter to duck behind his seat.

Both the father and daughter were struck during the initial shooting. The family fled in their vehicle while the gunman pursued them towards Bapsfontein, allegedly continuing to fire and attempting to force them off the road.

During the chase, the mother wrapped her dress around her husband’s arm to control the bleeding.

She attempted to call the police and a friend for help, but was unable to secure assistance during the pursuit.

Vehicle failure and arrest

The family eventually turned onto another farm, where their vehicle’s engine seized. They fled on foot towards a nearby workshop for help.

Emergency services, security personnel and police subsequently arrived at the scene.

The alleged shooter turned back roughly 500m from where the family’s vehicle stalled. He was arrested the following morning by security members and inspectors after going into hiding.

The suspect appeared in court on Monday and is expected to appear again on Thursday (October 15) for a formal bail application.

More than 15 shots were fired during the incident, leaving at least 12 bullet holes in the family’s vehicle.

Police were contacted, but details could not be officially confirmed at the time of publication.

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