Shooting keeps ex-diplomat awake
Former SA diplomat, who was shot at in road rage episode asked people to come forward with information.
Gopolang Chawane
A road rage shooting east of Pretoria still keeps a former South African diplomat awake at night.
After escaping death when he was shot at last week, Pule Phafane said this was a difficult time for him and his family.
“I sometimes find it hard to sleep as the shooting constantly replays in my mind
Phafane, CEO of his own company TechCloud, said last Monday’s road rage episode left scars that even he could not have imagined.
He said this had hit his family very hard because sometimes his son, whom he didn’t want to name, asked questions that even he had no answers to.
“Is that man going to jail daddy? Will he be prosecuted and why did he shoot at you?” said Phafane.
Phafane said he was in contact with his lawyers and they advised him to find more witnesses.
Phafane said this was a problem as the whereabouts of witnesses of the shooting were not known.
“Some people came forward as police were busy at the scene and said they had seen everything.”
He said after police made it clear that his car had a dashboard camera and most of the action was caught on camera, the would-be witnesses were quick to leave.
Phafane said the gun-wielding man was arrested shortly after the shooting and later awarded bail.
Garsfontein police Warrant Officer Miller confirmed that the man had been arrested and appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court last week.
Miller said the man was facing numerous charges related to the illegal discharging of a firearm in public and endangering the public.
He said the man was also arrested on a malicious damage to property charge.
“No injuries were reported,” said Miller.
He said more information would follow regarding the outcome of the court. At time of going to print this information had not been available.
Phafane was shot at last Monday morning near the corner of Garstfontein and Primula roads as he was about to drive into his housing complex in Moreleta Park.
The shooter earlier rammed his vehicle shot into Phafane’s car in apparent act of road rage.
“I was terrified as shots were being fired and I hid behind several cars that were in standing still in traffic, hiding from the gun-wielding man, said Phafane.
Phafane said at 07:20 on Monday morning, he was on his way home from dropping off one of his two children at school. He was caught in minor traffic on Primula Road, leading to his residence.
“As traffic was bumper to bumper and I was close to my driveway, I weaved out of the traffic making my way to my driveway,” said Phafane.
He said a motorist who thought Phafane was attempting to cut traffic, swerved out of traffic to block him from passing.
Phafane said the motorist blocked his vehicle from passing but as he was close to his driveway, he attempted to avert the other car and drove into his driveway.
He said the other motorist was outraged by this and rammed into his vehicle. “I was surprised and immediately stopped because an accident had just happened.”
He said he stopped his car and attempted to confront the other motorist in order to exchange details for insurance purposes, but the other motorist had re-joined the traffic.
He said he wanted to stop the other motorist who had no intention of stopping.
“The driver kept on going with the slow moving traffic, not intending to stop.”
Eventually the motorist’s vehicle could not move because traffic had come to a standstill.
“The man who had initially called me a monkey came out of the vehicle with a gun.”
“I immediately made a run for it, but the man kept calling me to confront him.”
Phafane said the gun-wielding man opened fire, and he knew he was being shot at.
He said the man shot his tyres and bashed one of his windows after Phafane would not respond to the mans call.
“He called me all kinds of names, wanting me to come and confront him.”
Phafane said he was terrified as the man angrily came after him.
He said the man shot at his vehicle several times and fled the scene.
Police came after someone had reported the shooting.
“They quickly cordoned off the area,” said Phafane.
Phafane said it a camera on his vehicle’s dashboard helped police to find the man.
The armed man’s vehicle license plate was identified on the dashboard camera footage and he was arrested the same day.
A woman who wanted to remain anonymous told Rekord she witnessed the entire episode.
“I saw the man firing shots at all four tyres and bashing the car window. He knew exactly what he was doing as he did not miss any tyre,” said the witness.
“He stared at me before he got back into his 4×4. I could not believe what was happening. Not a car stopped and no one said a word. Everyone drove around the 4×4 and carried on like it was a normal day.”
She said she lived in a complex called Carosel and the shooting happened just outside her complex.
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