Metro cop accused of murder will seek bail

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."

He said his client was bumped twice by the vehicle, a Toyota sedan driven by Tsakani Shimange, 38, who was killed.

"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 [Prison] where there are people who know him so he rather kept quiet," Jay said of his client.

He said Mashigo would plead not guilty to murder.

Exactly what transpired when Shimange was shot through the windscreen of his car at a routine traffic checkpoint is expected to emerge when Mashigo applies for bail on Friday.

Mashigo, 27, appeared briefly in a packed Pretoria Magistrate's Court yesterday. The state asked for a postponement until Friday for confirmation of Mashigo's address.

A relative of the dead man, Dumisani Mabunda, said: "We do not know what happened. We are in the dark as [is] everybody else."

The colleague with whom Mashigo was partnered, who was in court, said: "I am still shocked at what has happened - but what I know is that it is very difficult to work with the public. We are provoked every day by arrogant and violent [people].

"I am handing in my resignation next week."

Tshwane metro police said investigations were under way.