By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A prominent South African MP, Ian Cameron has pulled the trigger to ward off a violent attack on him and two of his colleagues by a gang in the city of Cape Town.
Cameron and two members of House Committee on Police, Lisa Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell were returning from a work trip when their vehicle was ambushed on Tuesday in a township called Philippi.
The attackers smashed the car’s windows they parliamentarians were travelling in, injuring Cameron and Gotsell.
Cameron, whose teeth were broken, retaliated by opening fire, injuring one of the assailants.
Police said two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, have been arrested in connection with the attack and will be investigated on charges of attempted murder and attempted hijacking.
One of the suspects was apprehended while seeking medical treatment at a hospital on Tuesday while another was arrested on a farm early Wednesday, police said, adding that a search is ongoing for a third suspect.
Cameron, who chairs the House Committee on Police told reporters that they were returning from an unannounced visit to a police academy in Philippi when “the first brick came through [the window]” on the driver’s side and hit him in the face.
Cameron said that while he was trying to fend off his attacker, he saw his colleagues also face a barrage of attacks from the other assailants.
“I realised that if we don’t do something, then this can go really bad. So I did my best to act in self-defence with my firearm and then we sped off to the closest secure location,” he added.
In South Africa, the law protects you from bearing firearm, provided it is licensed.
Cameron, who was seen with a cut lip in the interview with journalists said some of his teeth had been broken, while Gotsell had to be briefly hospitalised after he was hit on the head.
Gotsell, speaking after being discharged from hospital, praised Cameron, saying he “acted with such bravery”.
All three MPs are members of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-biggest party in South Africa’s coalition government.
The party said the attack showed how “out-of-control” crime is in South Africa.
