Victim gets R3m from gunman's estate
2010-09-08 20:34
Pretoria - A former Pretoria North businesswoman, who was shot in the head by an enraged colleague, will receive R3.6m from his estate.
In terms of an order granted by the North Gauteng High Court, the executor of Happy Nkosi’s estate admitted that Nkosi wounded Patricia Mbiza, former financial director of engineering company Silver Unicorn Trading, in a shooting in August 2006.
The estate agreed to pay Mbiza R3.6m out of Nkosi’s dividends from the company Owl Eye Trading 110.
According to court papers, Nkosi, who was the operational manager at Silver Unicorn, pulled out a firearm and shot at fellow shareholders during a meeting to discuss his alleged malicious conduct and possible suspension.
Fellow shareholders Wanda Masombuku, a former secretary general of the Pan Africanist Students' Organisation, and Abraham Maredi were shot in the head and died.
Mbiza fled through a window with other shareholders, but was apprehended by Nkosi at a locked gate.
Reconstructive surgeries
He shot her in the face, then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.
Mbiza was taken to hospital in a critical condition. She spent nine days in intensive care and underwent numerous operations, including cranial and reconstructive surgery.
The bullet caused serious brain injuries, damaged one of her optic nerves, caused hearing loss in her left ear, and shattered numerous bones in her face.
Her left ear, where the bullet exited, had to be reattached.
She will have to undergo further operations in future and will, according to medical reports, have to receive psychotherapy to treat her for post-traumatic stress and depression.
Damages
Mbiza had claimed R151m damages from Nkosi’s estate for her past and future medical costs, her pain, suffering and discomfort, emotional and psychological trauma, loss of amenities of life and loss of earnings.
Her husband, Antonio Bosetto, who was there when she was shot, claimed R500 000 for his emotional and psychological trauma, but later withdrew the claim.
Psychologist Dr Eugene Viljoen said in a report that Mbiza was an executive member of a successful corporation with an active social life before the incident.
Since then, she had not worked in any capacity. She had stayed at home looking after her three children and recuperating from various operations.
She was unable to drive because of panic attacks and her social activities were impaired because of feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.
Viljoen said Mbiza suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had undergone psychological changes as a result of her injuries, which were likely to render her unemployable.
- SAPA