MEC for Social Development Albert Fritz, has recounted how he and his team narrowly escaped with their lives when the gun of one of the two men who attempted to rob them in Nyanga this morning, jammed during the incident.
Fritz talks about moment armed robbers fired a shot at his bodyguard which was follows by hail of bullets as he ducked in car @WeekendArgus pic.twitter.com/FhBfoMUprR
— Tshego Lepule (@tshegofatsang) August 12, 2017
Earlier today, Fritz, two of his bodyguards, and spokesperson Sihle Ngobese, were robbed of their cellphones outside the Assembly of God Church in Zwelitsha, Nyanga, the same venue where the minister was scheduled to speak at a DA Youth event.
One suspect was shot dead and another seriously wounded when the minister’s bodyguards returned fire with the armed suspects.
Forensic officials are currently combing through the scene in Nyanga where the body of the deceased suspect was yet to be picked up.
23 cones were scattered down the road to mark bullet casings from the shootout between the minister’s bodyguards and the robbers.
Speaking to IOL at the Nyanga police station, Minister Fritz spoke of the trauma of the incident.
“I appear to be okay and I think I feel okay, I am going to get counselling now but there are flashes of trauma coming through but I need to speak to someone and debrief,” he said.
“The one thing I was worried about was my protector as one of the guys was standing in front of him and shooting at him and then the gun jammed.
“When the shots went off we were laying on the floor really praying and hoping that the shots don’t hit us because the shots were going to and fro and we were worried that we would get caught in-between the crossfire. We were just hoping none would get hit, that gun jamming, we are lucky to be here and unharmed.”
MEC Fritz says today he experienced what residents living in the country's murder capital Nyanga go through following robbery @WeekendArgus pic.twitter.com/uVO64MBF6S
— Tshego Lepule (@tshegofatsang) August 12, 2017 Police at the scene said the investigation has been taken over by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).