Policeman opens fire at resident’s car
“The man turned around and stood right in front of me, shooting at me, again and again. He emptied his magazine."
They serve and protect – they uphold law and order…
They are the men in blue, and they live to protect you.
For Simon Zwane, a legal advisor and resident of Madadeni, this ideal was shattered when he saw his life flash before his eyes through the gaping maw of a 9 milimeter pistol, wielded by an allegedly intoxicated policeman.
On Friday, November 28, Mr Zwane was driving through oSizweni at approximately 6pm. His route took him past a shebeen complex called Nodlelo, a well-known watering hole in the area.
While stopped at a stop sign, he noticed another vehicle similar to his double-cab Toyota bakkie stopped on the opposite side of the road.
What happened next, is still unclear to Mr Zwane.
“The driver swerved into my lane, and proceeded to force me off the road,” he claimed. “He stopped right next to me, and I opened my passenger side window to see if he wanted to talk.”
According to Mr Zwane, the driver of the other vehicle then asked him if he knew ‘that I was scared of no one.’
“He repeated the question and when I did not answer him, he asked the passenger for his gun,” explained Mr Zwane. “He pointed the gun at my face, and asked again: ‘Do you know that I am scared of no one?’”
Allegedly, the man then proceeded to cock the weapon.
“It was as he cocked the gun that the first shot went off,” he said. “He then proceeded to fire four more shots in my direction.”
Miraculously, Mr Zwane was not hit, despite the close range. It was at this stage that a truck which needed to pass the two vehicles stopped close by.
“He got out of his car and went to the truck, shouting at the driver. He asked him, ‘what are you looking at’ and shouted at him to get of there,” he said.
Mr Zwane decided to act. He put his bakkie in reverse and tried to make his escape.
“The man turned around and stood right in front of me, shooting at me, again and again. He emptied his magazine. I know this, because I saw the gun was open.”
He managed to make his way to the oSizweni police station, where he explained the situation to the officers on duty.
Action was taken immediately, and Mr Zwane went in pursuit of the suspect along with police.
“We caught him, and while he was sitting in the car he was drinking a bottle of alcohol, some blue stuff,” said Mr Zwane. “It was then that I learned the man was a policeman.”
Allegedly, Mr Zwane overheard policemen on scene saying the shooter was one of their colleagues, and that he was supposed to be on standby.
“I was shocked. The entire time he was shooting, the only thing I could think of was why he was doing it. I couldn’t believe it. I had never met this man before that moment.”
Shockingly, the second occupant in the shooter’s vehicle allegedly only made small attempts to stop the man. He also exited the vehicle and collected the spent bullet casings in an alleged attempt to hide evidence.
Police spokesperson, Captain Shooz Magudulela, confirmed the man had been arrested and charged with pointing a firearm and handling a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
“An internal investigation will be done pertaining to the preliminary investigation,” said Captain Magudulela. “The accused has appeared in Madadeni Magistrate’s Court and was released on bail. “
“I am very lucky. My vehicle only has a few scratches and chips to the windscreen, but I am unhurt,” Mr Zwane concluded.
