'There was a lot of provocation': Lawyer of metro cop arrested for Pretoria shooting

A Tshwane metro police officer will deny that there was no provocation when he allegedly shot and killed a motorist in Hatfield‚ Pretoria‚ on Friday.

Constable Takatso Mashigo's lawyer‚ Peter Jay‚ said “there was a lot of provocation”‚ saying the policeman was bumped twice by the vehicle‚ a Toyota sedan‚ driven by the deceased‚ Tsakani Shimange‚ 38‚ on that fateful Friday morning.

• Pretoria shooting: Metro cop in court for murderDetails of what transpired when a motorist was shot through the windscreen of his car in Hatfield‚ Pretoria‚ during a routine traffic stop are expected to emerge when the suspect‚ Tshwane metro police constable Takatso Mashigo‚ applies for bail on Friday. 

“He has not received medical treatment. On Saturday he was extremely afraid to request medical treatment because he was afraid he would be taken to Pretoria central where there are people who know him‚ so he rather kept quiet‚” Jay said.

He said Mashigo would plead not guilty to murder and they would see what the state put on the table.

• Partner of metro cop in fatal Hatfield shooting says he will resignDetails of what transpired when a motorist was shot through the windscreen of his sedan in Hatfield‚ Pretoria‚ during a routine traffic stop are expected to emerge when the suspect‚ Tshwane metro police constable Takatso Mashigo‚ applies for bail on Friday. 

The details of exactly what transpired when Shimange was shot through the windscreen of his car during a routine traffic stop are expected to emerge when Mashigo applies for bail on Friday.

Mashigo‚ 27‚ briefly appeared in a packed Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of murder.

The state asked for the postponement till Friday to confirm Mashigo's address. He will remain in custody until then.

The court was packed with family members and friends of the deceased father of two killed near the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services offices where he was employed.

The incident happened on Grosvenor street‚ near the Hatfield Gautrain station‚ last Friday around 10am‚ moments after the deceased had reportedly dropped his partner‚ Sibongile Ntlwane‚ 37‚ at Sunnypark shopping mall in Sunnyside‚ Pretoria.

A handful of people demonstrated outside the court‚ criticising police and calling for harsher sentence through their placards.

Family member Dumisani Mabunda said they were still in the dark as to what led Mashigo to open fire on Shimange. “We do not know what happened. We are in the dark as everybody else‚” she said.

Details of what exactly happened are sketchy but it is reported that Shimange failed to stop when he was directed to do so by the metro police officer. The windscreen of Shimange's sedan has a single bullet hole on the driver's side.

Mashigo's partner‚ who was in court‚ said they were conducting a routine traffic stop but he was further away when the shooting happened.

He said there were four officers in the area‚ including a SAPS member.

“I was approaching where [Mashigo] was when I heard a shot ring out. I am still shocked at what has happened but what I know it is very difficult to work with the public. We are provoked every day by arrogant and violent public. I am handing in my resignation next week‚” said the constable‚ who did not want to be named.

Tshwane metro police spokesperson‚ Superintendent Isaac Mahamba‚ said internal investigations into the incident were under way.

“We are in full cooperation with the [Independent Police Investigation Directorate] and giving them space to conduct investigations‚” he said.

- TMG Digital/The Times