A Stellenbosch University lecturer was shot at while driving on the N2 early on Saturday – despite efforts by police and authorities to prevent criminals targeting motorists on the highway.
The attack was one of at least two reported this week.
Late on Tuesday, a petrol bomb was hurled at an Intercape bus near the N2 in Strand, killing two passengers and injuring dozens more.
Saturday’s attack happened shortly after midnight at an intersection on the stretch of road after Sir Lowry’s Pass.
The incident took place only two days after the authorities announced a plan to deal with crime on the N2, which has been an escalating problem.
Driver Pamela Kierman described how the two bullets narrowly missed the passenger sitting in her car.
“Bullets entered and exited the front side windows which fortunately have smash and grab coating, but bullet holes remain and the glass shattered into pieces,” she said.
Kierman said that she had stopped behind a metallic blue car at the traffic lights while driving back to Cape Town from Caledon.
She suspects that the car may have purposefully been positioned in front of her to stop her from driving away.
“I wondered why they didn’t approach the car in front of us but I now suspect that it was just a decoy.”
Kierman said that as she stopped at the lights she noticed five men standing on the side of the road.
One of them wore a cap and another, who stood in one of the lanes, was wearing a bomber jacket.”
“Lee-Roy (the passenger) said ‘Pamela, I think you should drive. This guy is going to shoot us’.
“And I just put my foot on to the accelerator, swerved around the other car and sped off,” Kierman said.
As she sped away, the shots were fired.
Police said that a case of attempted murder was being investigated. No arrests had yet been made.
On Thursday, the authorities announced that the section of the N2 which was of particular concern stretched about 26 km between Jakes Gerwel (Vanguard) Drive and the Firgrove off-ramp.
It was announced that a priority committee headed by the police’s director, Robbie Roberts, had been set up to deal with the crime problem.
It is not the first time safety on the N2 has been a problem.
Last year, the Community Safety Department called for an urgent meeting to respond to a number of crimes.
Interventions at the time included deploying more police, clearing vegetation and improving street lighting. – Weekend Argus