Johannesburg - A heated argument over the failure of the driver of a car to put his indicator on has led to the death of a Lakeside resident in the Vaal.
Lucas Nqozile was shot in the upper body on Sunday night, allegedly by an off-duty police warrant officer, whose name is known to The Star.
On Tuesday, arsonists allegedly burnt down the officer’s house, which is three streets away from Nqozile’s home.
No one was in the house at the time, Gauteng police spokeswoman Captain Doniah Mothutsane said.
She added that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate was investigating cases of arson and murder.
No arrests had been made.
At the time of his death, Nqozile was coming from a local tavern with friends when the officer allegedly failed to indicate at a stop sign.
It is believed that three of Nqozile’s friends fled the scene when an argument broke out between the cop and Nqozile.
“The officer claimed that the argument broke out because the deceased was trying to hijack him. He also opened a case of attempted hijacking,” Mothutsane said.
Nqozile’s family said they were living in fear after receiving numerous calls from someone claiming to be the Evaton police station’s commander.
“The person requested that we tell him who are the witnesses. They keep telling us that the police will threaten the witnesses, therefore, they needed to be taken to a place of safety,” the dead man’s sister, Nono Nqozile, said.
She added that the person also claimed that Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko was helping to get the witnesses placed in safe houses.
“The person said the MEC was travelling from Limpopo and could make arrangements to meet the family,” Nono added.
However, The Star understands that the station commander at Evaton is a woman and not a man, as claimed by the caller.
A call to the number yesterday was answered by a woman, who said it was the parliamentary constituency office in Evaton.
Mothutsane said the family could visit the station commander or the investigating officer about the case.
Nono said the family were still in the dark as to why her brother was killed. “We were not allowed to see his body at the scene. We were not even allowed to get close to the scene,” she said in tears.
The family said the police had let them down twice, after they had failed to investigate a case in which Nqozile was attacked.
“He was working at a tavern when people bought beers using a fake R100 note. He questioned them, but they waited for him to knock off before attacking,” Nono said.
“The case was withdrawn. We were told there was false information about my brother’s age,” she added.
The Star