By Buziwe Nocuze
“I am glad that I am still alive. The bullet could’ve caught me in a dangerous part that might have killed me.”
This passenger was shot in the leg when the Intercape bus he was travelling in was attacked by gunmen at 10pm on Sunday.
The 42-year-old has asked Scolla.Africa to keep his name out of the story for fear of recrimination.
He was on board an Intercape bus on his way home to Cape Town when it was attacked near Cradock.
The driver told passengers that the bus had been stoned, but he didn’t stop because he didn’t know what the attackers were going to do next.
Moments later, the victim felt a burning sensation in his left thigh and noticed blood. The horrified man told the person next to him that he had been shot.
It caused great upset among the other passengers as this happened on a road where numerous buses had been attacked, apparently by taxi-related thugs.
The victim expressed his disbelief that such an incident could happen on an Intercape bus, which he had chosen to ride for its perceived safety and peace. “I never thought that I would get shot inside the bus, and, strangely, I was the only one injured on that bus.
“What kind of humans would shoot inside a bus full of passengers? They are heartless because there were also kids there. We just wanted a peaceful journey.”
Fortunately, he was discharged from hospital on Monday afternoon. He was waiting for an Intercape vehicle that would transport him to Cape Town. The wounded man said he was “in so much pain”, but that he could not wait to get home.
Intercape has confirmed the attack, stating that three of its coaches came under attack in the Eastern Cape on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape SAPS spokesperson Warrant officer Majola Nkohli said they are investigating a case of attempted murder.
Intercape has called on the authorities to act urgently to address these attacks and make arrests. “More than 130 cases have been opened with SAPS in the Eastern Cape and not a single arrest,” said the company.
These latest attacks come despite a court judgment in December last year that compelled then-transport minister Fikile Mbalula to “urgently” address attacks against long-haul bus operator Intercape, according to a report by News24.
The Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda ordered that Mbalula “immediately, and with the utmost urgency, develop and implement an action plan to ensure the safety of long-distance coach drivers and passengers”, Intercape said in a statement.
At the time there were more than 150 recorded violent incidents, including shootings, stonings, and acts of intimidation directed at Intercape and other long-distance operators, allegedly by rogue taxi associations looking to control routes.
The ongoing violence has raised fears among commuters, especially with many people expected to visit family over the upcoming Easter weekend.
Pictured above: A smashed window inside the bus that was attacked by gunmen on Sunday
Image source: Zandile Bangani
