5 dead in horror shooting spree

2003-08-03 22:36

Retha Fourie

Musina - "I was still telling Lempertz what had happened and just wanted to tell him to be careful because the professional hunter wanted to shoot him too, when I heard the alarm in the house go off and he told me he had to go before putting the phone down."

This is how Inspector Jacques du Buisson, communication official of the Musina police, described the events in which a professional hunter shot and killed five people with a pistol and wounded at least three others on Saturday, before going to his employer's house to shoot him as well.

"We jumped into all available police vehicles and sped to Lempertz's farm to prevent the man from shooting Lempertz as well."

Dierk Lempertz was unharmed when they arrived, probably because he did not go outside when the alarm went off. Du Buisson said tracks found outside the house indicated that the hunter probably tripped the alarm in order to lure Lempertz out of the house.

Police said Chaiphas Madima, 37, went on a shooting spree after a drinking session and argument with his co-workers on Saturday night.

Madima apparently went from house to house on the farm Klein Bolayi outside Musina, shooting at his colleagues. A three-year-old child was wounded in the attack.

One of the victims, Piet Suphaso, said from his hospital bed on Sunday that he had no idea what came over Madima.

Du Buisson said the community was shocked by the killings, especially because everybody in the area had a lot of respect for Madima, who worked for Lempertz as chief professional hunter for more than 10 years.

- Beeld