Patrick Shai on being 'shot 11 times': I thought of Andries Tatane & Marikana

Veteran actor Patrick Shai plans to open a case against police with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) after he was allegedly shot 11 times in the back and side during a scuffle between protesters and police in Soweto on Monday.

Patrick told TshisaLIVE he was attempting to defuse tensions between disgruntled residents protesting about electricity cuts and police in Dobsonville when law-enforcement officers opened fire. They allegedly shot at him and others as they tried to flee the scene.

The star said when he was shot he contemplated falling to the ground so they would stop targeting him.

“At first I ran, and then I took around 11 shots. I thought of Andries Tatane and the people of Marikana. I thought maybe I should just fall so my body won't be pounded by bullets.

“Then my conscience said if you lie down maybe they will come and shoot you in the head.”

Patrick is recovering in hospital.

“I am obviously a bit rattled. This is the reality of SA today. It is a constant reminder that the apartheid operative mentality remains. How many Marikanas must we have?”

Police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters told TshisaLIVE that police were called to restore order after protests and “used rubber bullets to disperse a group of about 200 protesters who had allegedly started pelting objects at the police”. 

She confirmed that no-one has been arrested and called on anyone who had been injured during the incident to report the matter to police.

“A member of the public who may have sustained injuries during the time when rubber bullets were fired when protesters became violent, is encouraged to report to the police. Station management can be contacted if necessary.”