Witness tells of ‘devastating and heartbreaking’ damage to her car after alleged highway assault

In the ongoing trial of members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit, who are accused of assaulting the occupants of a car on the N1 highway in July 2023, the third State witness took the stand on Tuesday.

The witness, who cannot be named to protect her identity, is the owner of the vehicle involved in the incident and the partner of the first witness, to whom she had lent the car and who was driving at the time.

Read more: Mashatile blue light protection unit case – witness describes being hit on head with butt of gun

“The car was in very good condition before the incident — no dents, no scratches,” she told the Randburg Magistrates’ Court.

She said her partner had taken the car on a weekend trip to Potchefstroom with friends. When she saw the car on the following Monday, the damage to it was “devastating and heartbreaking”.

The back window on the driver’s side was smashed, with glass shards still inside, and there were dents on the driver’s door, scratches on the bonnet, and damage to the back of the car and the interior.

“Things that were meant to be in the front were at the back… It was just a mess,” she added.

She testified that the only repair done so far was fixing the broken window, which cost R1,115. However, a VW dealership estimated the total damage at approximately R95,000.

When she first saw the damaged car in the parking bay to where it had been returned, she went to see her partner.

“He was full of blood on his face, ears and mouth. He was disoriented, weak, in physical pain and terrified,” she told the court.

When she asked him what had happened, he said he believed they had been hijacked. He was hesitant to go to a doctor or report the incident to the police, saying he remembered little beyond seeing black cars, and rifles pointed at him.

A doctor eventually attended to him and referred him to a hospital.

The witness took photos of her partner’s injuries three days after the incident, which included an open head wound and injuries to his mouth, ear and jaw. The photos were submitted as evidence.

She saw a video of the assault on Monday, 3 July 2023.

“I got a call from a journalist from News24… She asked if I knew about the incident or had reported it to the police. When I said I didn’t know what she was talking about, she asked for consent to send me the video.”

Read more: ‘I look dead in that video’ – Mashatile ‘blue light’ protection unit victim and partner speak a year after brutal highway attack

The court played the 59-second video for the witness to confirm if it was the same one she had seen. She confirmed it was, although the version she originally saw was 41 seconds long.

She received numerous calls from journalists, friends and colleagues after the video went public.

“We felt afraid after the calls and locked up ourselves in the house,” she said.

The eight accused are Shadrack Molekatlane Kojana, Johannes Matome Mampuru, Posmo Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Madumetja Ramokhonami, Phineas Molefo Boshielo, Churchill Mpakamaseni Mkhize, Lesiba Aggrie Ramabu, and Moses Fhatuwani.

They are charged with pointing a firearm, malicious damage to property, reckless and negligent driving, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempting to defeat the administration of justice and assault by threats.  

The trial continues. DM