By Stuart Graham
A black woman was shot in a calf in the Free State town of Orania on Sunday morning in what appeared to be a racial attack, Free State police said on Tuesday.
Free State spokesperson Sergeant Loraine Kalp said a taxi driver, transporting passengers from Orania railway station, was stopped by a group of white men who had blocked the Fluitjieskraal bridge between Orania and Wanda with their vehicles.
"The taxi was allowed to drive through and shortly afterwards a shot was heard," Kalp said.
She said a woman, who was a passenger in the taxi, complained that she was hit by something on her calf.
"When the driver stopped a few metres further to allow one of the passengers off and to inspect the vehicle, he discovered that there was a bullet hole on the rear door of the mini-bus."
Kalp said on further investigation the driver discovered that the bullet had penetrated a luggage bag and hit the woman's calf.
"The head of detectives in the southern Free State, Senior Superintendent William Johnson, and an Inspector Wessels, arrested a 23-year-old suspect from Orania and confiscated a 7,65 mm Astra pistol after a thorough investigation into the case," Kalp said.
The suspect will appear before the Fauresmith Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Spokesperson for the Orania community Karel Boshoff condemned the attack.
"Often people act on their own behalf. The town of Orania has no policy of keeping people out, we are open to anyone," Boshoff said.
Free state police commissioner Moranodi Gaobepe said police would react strongly to citizens who impaired any one else's right to freedom of movement.
"People have a democratic right to travel on the roads of this country. No person is allowed to infringe that," Gaobepe said. - Sapa