Cape Town - A hijacking victim’s desperate cry for help resulted in a brave bystander shooting the attacker in the head.
Now the father of the traumatised victim is calling for the shooter to be exonerated, saying the hijackers intended to kill his son and dump his body.
An emotional Jeremiah Nune said: “If it wasn’t for that man, my son would not be here today. He saved my son’s life.
“He must not be charged with murder.”
Daily Voice readers have come out in full support of the unnamed man, who may be facing a murder charge.
However, police sources told the Daily Voice that police also want the murder investigation to be changed to an inquest, because they believe the shooter had acted in self defence when he used his licensed firearm.
The case docket was sent to the Senior State Prosecutor at Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court last week. The prosecutor has yet to make a decision on whether to prosecute or not.
Police did not want to reveal the identity of the man, but it is believed he is a long-distance driver from Khayelitsha.
This week, Nune shed light on what happened on January 23 when his son was rescued from the clutches of armed hijackers at Liberty Promenade in Beacon Valley, Mitchell’s Plain.
The 35-year-old victim asked not to be identified, and let his father explain how his life was saved by a stranger.
The man, who works as a DStv technician, was in his Opel Corsa bakkie in the parking area near the McDonald’s.
His wife, a train driver, had gone into a shop.
She heard the gunshots as her husband was being hijacked, but did not realise he was the victim.
Nune told the Daily Voice: “He said he parked his bakkie near McDonald’s and when he wanted to climb out, two men stood in front of him, one with a gun.
“They said, ‘Move out of the way’.
“They got into the driver’s seat and my son said: ‘Here is the key, let me go’.
“The hijacker said he is going to take my son with him and drop him somewhere.
“That was when my son knew they were going to kill him.”
That’s when his son noticed the hero on the opposite side of the road, and started shouting for help.
The hijackers tried to speed away, but drove into a dead-end road.
“They drove into the parking area by McDonald’s but somehow they couldn’t go any further,” Nune said.
The next moment, shots started ringing out as the hero and hijackers opened fire at one another.
The dad said: “The hijacker shot my son in the leg.
“As this happened, my son jumped out the window.
“The second hijacker got out and ran away towards the station.
“The hijacker [with the gun] got out and walked around the car to go after my son.
“As he did this, the hero shot him in the head.
“When my son collapsed he saw his Samsung cellphone and his wedding ring in the hijacker’s hand.”
Nune said he hasn’t met the man who saved his son’s life.
“I still want to visit him,” he said.
“My son spoke to him at the scene and he gave his details. I’m so thankful to God.”
Daily Voice