Man 'shot' after convoy crash

2009-01-06 08:49

Elana Carstens

Johannesburg - The 23-year-old man whose car crashed into a vehicle in the presidential convoy on the N12 on Saturday was allegedly shot in the arm by members of the VIP protection unit.

So says Martin van Rensburg from Musina, a witness whose car was involved in another accident at the scene.

Police have denied the allegation.

"We were on our way home and saw all the cars standing there. Suddenly a Citi Golf came to a dead stop in the middle of the road. We crashed into it," Van Rensburg said.

"We saw the convoy push the red Golf GTI off the road and then they shot the young man in the arm."

'Arrogant and rude'

Van Rensburg said an SABC cameraman then arrived at the scene, but couldn't do his job because the VIP protection unit was so "arrogant and rude".

"The VIP protection unit jerked him around, pushed him and even ripped out his film. They also threatened us, and we were just onlookers."

Shane Senekal of Boksburg Towing Services, who towed away Van Rensburg's car, said the VIP protection unit immediately chased them off the scene.

"They chased us away because there were so many people and they did not want us to tow away the other cars that had been involved in the accident.

"The Golf GTI and the convoy vehicle that had been involved in the accident were towed away by the police. A lot has been said about the accident, but no one has mentioned that the young man in the GTI was shot in the arm," Senekal said.

Director Sally de Beer, national police spokesperson, denied this.

"The newspapers have now gone too far. They must leave things until there's a court case," she said.

- Beeld