Cops did nothing to assist Nando's worker they allegedly shot, court told
This is according to her colleague Xoliswa Tsengiwe, who testified at an inquest at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The inquest is to determine whether murder, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice charges should be opened against the officers involved in the shooting.
The officers allegedly behind the fatal shooting were found not guilty at an internal disciplinary hearing.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had declined to prosecute the officers implicated in the killing of Fudumele nearly two years ago.
Fudumele, a Dunoon resident, was killed in a hail of bullets while she and colleagues were on their way home after working a late shift in Parklands, Table View.
Their staff vehicle was shot at in Dunoon, near Milnerton. One of Fudumele’s colleagues was wounded in the shooting.
Police had received a call that an ATM had been bombed in the Dunoon/Milnerton area. When they arrived at the scene, they found nothing.
Tsengiwe testified that the last shot was allegedly fired by the police was fired after she had already got out of the staff vehicle.
She said she believed that it was that bullet which hit and killed Fudumele.
Fudumele’s mother, Thozama, collapsed when Tsengiwe testified how Fudumele lay helplessly inside the taxi after the shooting.
She testified she had thought that they were being attacked by robbers after she, along with Mandy Chivasa, Xoliseka Nelisi, Busiswa Matomane, Ziyanda Gophe, Zanele Dineka, Fudumele and driver Amos Mondreki had dropped off three of their colleagues.
“I turned around to see if I could see who was shooting, and I saw that it was police officers firing at us from in between the houses. There were no police vehicles that I could see,” said Tsengiwe.
She alerted Mondreki, who stopped the vehicle, but “shots were still being fired”.
Mondreki jumped out of the taxi and ran away.
Tsengiwe said she got out of the vehicle and knelt, with her hands raised, and her colleagues followed.
After the police had realised that they were Nando’s employees, their names were recorded.
But Fudumele was still in the vehicle, unconscious.
Paramedics declared her dead at the scene.
Legal representative for police Pedro van Wyk told Tsengiwe that the police contended that the vehicle came to a standstill, they approached the vehicle and Mondreki drove off.
“One of the police officers banged against the back window, shouting ‘police, police, stop’.
“One of the police officers will come and testify that he saw the driver opening the door with a gun in his hand. The version of the police will be different,” said Van Wyk.
Van Wyk said police would testify that they shouted “he has a gun” and fired warning shots.
The inquest continues on Thursday.
Cape Times