What was supposed to be a private friendly road racing event among drivers of 50 supercars on the Boshof Road yesterday, ended in bloodshed when spectators of the race and members of a family that owns a plot next to the road exchanged blows and racial insults.
Several vehicles of spectators were almost set alight while drivers of two McLaren supercars, who were involved in a race, were almost killed when the owner of the plot drove head-on towards them.
Spokesman for the event, Jacques van den Bergh, said: “The drivers of the supercars were doing about 200km/h and that man just came straight towards them in his 4x4. If the two drivers were not seasoned and well trained they could have been killed in this incident.
Although the event, called the Rogue Rally, is private, it drew the attention of many Kimberley supercar fans who went to see the vehicles in action.
“THEY ARE TRESPASSING”
Spectators could not directly access the area where racing was taking place and members of the public moved on to private land next to the road.
The trouble started when Adela Adams, the wife of Mohamed Ebrahim Adams, the owner of the plot, arrived at the event and tried to chase away the spectators.
“These people have entered my land without my permission,” Adams said. “We have just done pegging on this land because we are developing residential property and this process cost us hundreds of thousands of rands.
“I am now worried that the people who have trespassed here have removed these pegs. We do not have the money to do it all over again,” she said.
She said that although she complained to the police about the trespassers, she received no help.
“In fact, the police themselves have trespassed and they were watching the racing cars instead of doing their work by removing the trespassers,” Adams added.
Chaos erupted when Adam’s husband, Mohamed, arrived at the scene and drove onto the race track while the two McLarens were racing.
A fist fight between Mohamed’s son and Conrad Pretorius, a spectator whose vehicle was almost torched, also broke out.
“We were watching the cars race when I heard from some of the spectators that someone was trying to set our vehicles on fire. When I went to check on my car I saw that man (pointing at Mohamed’s son) and some of his people pouring petrol on my bakkie.
“When I asked them what they were doing, he punched me.”
“He then hit me with an pick-axe on my left hand,” Pretorius claimed.
He said that Mohamed’s son also threatened his fiancée, Amy Thompson.
Mohamed’s son, who refused to give his name, claimed that Pretorius racially insulted him.
Mohamed said that some of the white members of the public who had trespassed on his land, called him an “ANC k*****”.
The police eventually restored order and according to Van den Bergh he opened a case of attempted murder and reckless driving against Mohammed.
Mohammed hit back by saying that he would open a case of trespassing against those who invaded his land.
The event then moved to the MonsterMob track for a gymkhana drifting display.
The Rogue Rally is a week-long event where drivers of 50 supercars travel across the country and hold events in some of the major towns.
The cars will travel to Bloemfontein on Wednesday for the third leg of the event.
Spokesman for Sol Plaatje Municipality, Sello Matsie, said that the municipality’s traffic department monitored the event. - Diamond Fields Advertiser