Blue light bully spat at woman
2009-04-01 09:33
Pietermaritzburg - A woman is on antiretroviral medication after the Msunduzi mayor's blue light bodyguard allegedly spat in her face during a confrontation on the N3 highway.
Camperdown police have opened a case of intimidation and crimen injuria after Kathleen Drummond was allegedly harassed, forced onto the side of the road near the Mbumbulu off-ramp on the N3, and spat on twice by two bodyguards attached to Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo's VIP protection unit.
Drummond has been taking anti-HIV drugs on her doctor's instructions after the spit of one of Hatshwayo's bodyguards landed in her eye on March 18.
The convoy was en route to Durban airport to collect the mayor.
The Witness has learnt that the matter has been kept under wraps by the ANC for fear that it might spark another public outcry ahead of the April 22 elections.
Drummond said she was driving towards Durban at around 17:00. While she was overtaking five trucks, a black Golf 5 GTI, followed by another vehicle flashing a blue light, drove close to the rear of her car and flashed her to move into the slow lane.
As she was just passing the fifth truck, she indicated that she would pull over.
Ordered to pull over
Drummond said she does not know what she did wrong to spark the intimidation and insults, but suspects the bodyguards thought she showed a rude sign.
"After moving to the slow lane the driver of the black Golf cut in front and stopped in the emergency lane. Another vehicle flashing a blue light signalled me to pull over. When a car with a police light stops me I always stop," said Drummond, who was alone.
"A male with red wild eyes told me to open my window, and tried to pull it down after I refused to open it," she said.
The man identified himself as a policeman and when she asked to see some identification, he uttered insults.
"He then leaned towards my window and spat at me and his saliva landed in my eye. He spat again, but the second one landed on the window. After he spat at me and I refused to open the window, they left."
Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Ngcobo confirmed that the two bodyguards were on their way to pick up Hlatshwayo from the airport.
"These are the employees of [the] municipality, therefore we are looking into the matter," she said, but declined to discuss the allegation that the ANC tried to keep the matter under wraps.