A gunman who fatally shot a woman at a bus stop in Fleurhof, Roodepoort, on Wednesday had boarded the bus on Tuesday morning , according to the bus driver.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, hours after the unidentified gunman had killed the woman in broad daylight, Metrobus MD Bongani Radebe said the bus driver, who is extremely traumatised, had told them of his interactions with the gunman on Tuesday and shortly before he killed the woman.
Radebe said bus drivers know their regular passengers and this driver, whose identity he could not reveal for fear for his safety, claimed to have first laid eyes on the gunman on Tuesday.
The two spoke and the gunman had requested to be left on the road where he could take a taxi to Gandhi Square and then proceed to his destination which he said was Parktown.
That memory stuck in his mind because when he saw him again he recognised him, Radebe said.
The bus driver, who has been with Metrobus for about 15 years, made conversation with the man about him heading to Parktown again, but the gunman allegedly told him he was not going there this time.
He said the man had used cash for his trip on Tuesday but on Wednesday he arrived with a trip tag. He sat in the front seat next to the driver and disembarked at the bus station where the victim and two other passengers were about to board the bus.
Radebe said the gunman allegedly pointed his gun at the driver before he got off.
“The shooter pointed the gun at our bus driver who took cover but remained calm at all times, and did not act in a way that would trigger the shooter,” he said.
He allegedly fired shots at close range at his victims but missed everybody. When they ran away, he followed them and shot the woman who he had allegedly been targeting after she tripped and fell. He shot her twice while she was on the ground.
Radebe said Metrobus was providing psychological support.
“You can imagine the bus driver was shaken up and it was a traumatic incident for him.”
He said the bus driver saved the lives of the 15 passengers on the bus.
He drove away to ensure the safety of other passengers and dropped them off about 500m from the scene.
“For me, that was quick thinking and shows he was thinking about those he serves every day,” he said.
Radebe said they would provide footage from the cameras inside their bus to the investigators..
The MMC for transport in Johannesburg, Kenny Kunene, said they suspected the gunman had been scouting the victim's movements and checking her routine before the shooting.
“We suspect it started last Friday, or maybe earlier, and he decided to do the hit today [Wednesday],” he said.
Kunene met the woman's husband, her brother and other family members at the scene.
“Obviously, they are very traumatised. It is a tragic incident that has happened.”
The shooter is reported to have fled the scene in a white Volkswagen Polo sedan without licence plates. A manhunt has been launched.
Gauteng deputy provincial commissioner for crime detection Maj-Gen Mbuso Khumalo said the investigation was still fresh and the police have assembled a team of detectives from the province and the local police station.
“I don't want to talk about the investigation because it is ongoing. But we are going to work around the clock and make sure that the suspects are arrested.”
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