Pretoria pregnant woman (28) shot during service delivery protest – in own yard

Police in Tshwane are being investigated after a nine months pregnant woman accused an officer of shooting her in the stomach with a rubber bullet during a service delivery protest – while she was in her own yard.

Gontse Kobedi (28), a resident of the Gomorra informal settlement in Hercules, Pretoria West, claimed the officer entered her home on June 28, while her neighbours were taking part in a protest action.

Protesters were reportedly damaging infrastructure and private properties as well as blocking intersections.

Kobedi told Rekord that loud chanting by neighbours during the protest woke her up on the day.

“I was woken up early at around 04:00 and walked out to see what was going on.

“There was already chaos in the streets. Because I was 36 weeks and four days pregnant, I went back to bed.”

Later in the afternoon, she went out into her yard for some fresh air and saw that the protest action was still ongoing.

“I saw a police nyala (4×4 armoured personnel carrier) driving down the road.”

Kobedi said after noticing the nyala and people fleeing for safety, she went back into her house. However, she claimed that a police officer from the nyala entered her premises and knocked on her door.

She said the officer wanted to see who was in her house due to the unrest occurring and people fleeing when police arrived.

She told him that she wasn’t part of any strike action due to her condition.

“I asked him, ‘how am I even in a position to pick up stones, let alone run wild while I have reached full-term pregnancy?’”

According to her, the policeman was angered by her response and drew his gun and shot her.

“I was shocked and asked him why he had done it and he said it was because I was taking part in the riot.”

Kobedi went back into her house to change her blood-stained pyjamas to seek assistance.

When she came out again, the officer was gone.

“I made my way through the protest action, bleeding. I eventually reached a spot where it was safe for vehicles to travel and caught private transport to the Hercules police station.”

The trip cost her R300.

She said when she arrived, she was however turned away.

“An official outside the police station told me that their vehicles couldn’t be used to transport civilians and that I should seek urgent medical attention.”

Kobedi said she had to pay an individual to transport her to Pretoria West hospital where she was admitted hospital overnight for observation and treatment for shock.

“I was discharged and told to clean the wound with salt water.”

She said the baby was also in “great health”, according to the hospital. (The hospital has confirmed that she received treatment.)

Kobedi said she was not convinced that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) would investigate the matter properly.

“The Ipid investigator did not even arrive at my doorstep due to poor road conditions despite me giving him alternative routes.

“He instead chose to interview people by the main road. He even failed to collect the casing from the rubber bullet, left in my house from the shooting.”

Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed that a case had been registered for investigation with the police oversight body.

“The case in question and our investigation are still in their early stages.

“We will make an announcement on the outcome once the investigation is concluded,” Suping said.

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