'There was no confrontation, no provocation': Family speaks out on shooting of British surgeon in Nyanga

The family of a British surgeon who was shot dead while on holiday during a violent minibus taxi strike in Cape Town have spoken out for the first time about their traumatic ordeal.

Kar Hao Teoh, 40, was shot while driving on a detour through Nyanga with his wife Sara, mother Ainah and son Hugo. They were on a two-week planned holiday in August.

“We were on our way back from seeing the whales and were about 30 minutes from our destination when suddenly there was a road closure,” Ainah, who lives in Singapore, told the BBC.

She said police had routed traffic through Nyanga during the strike, presumably to shield motorists from being targeted by protesters on their original route.

“The shooter came out and shot my husband as he was driving,” said Sara. “There was no confrontation, no provocation — nothing whatsoever. He was driving and he was shot.”

The family claimed police asked what happened but refused to call an ambulance. She alleged officers did not take their names, ask where they were staying or take a statement.

It was unclear whether she was referring to SAPS or a different law enforcement agency.

Police spokesperson Col Andre Traut said the murder was still under investigation.  

“Should the family of the deceased have concerns regarding the investigation or complaints directed at SAPS, they are encouraged to approach police management with the information so that the allegations can be probed,” Traut told TimesLIVE on Thursday. 

The eight-day taxi strike left at least six people dead, tens of thousands of commuters stranded and led to the closure of roads and schools in the Western Cape.

The strike involved a battle of wills between the taxi industry in the province and authorities over how traffic violations were enforced or disproportionately enforced, against minibus taxis. 

Meanwhile, five suspects allegedly found in possession of personal items belonging to German tourist Nick Frischke, missing since February 2023, appeared in the Wynberg regional court on Thursday. 

Two suspects are expected to appear in the Mitchell’s Plain magistrate’s court after allegedly robbing an elderly German couple on Tuesday in Cape Town.

A US tourist, Walter Fischel, 55, is recovering in hospital after being robbed and shot in Nyanga on Friday.

TimesLIVE