Family attacked by land invaders
While the Lenasia family are grateful that their lives were spared during an attack allegedly carried out by land invaders, they were still reeling from the ordeal.
“My son has been living with his grandmother since the incident because we live too close to where it happened and he’s scared that they will come to our house and attack us again,” said the three-year-old’s dad, Malik Sohail.
“He still can’t eat or sleep properly.”
Sohail said he, his wife and their son were on their way to McDonald’s at Trade Route Mall on Monday afternoon. On the way, they were confronted by a group of angry protesters.
“They started throwing rocks, bricks and stones at my car,” the 42-year-old father said.
His son and wife started screaming and crying.
In a desperate bid to save his family from possible injury or death, Sohail had to think on his feet and decided to speed off.
“I just continued driving but they kept throwing stuff at the car.”
He added the ordeal caused extensive damage to his vehicle. The front window, the bonnet, boot and body of the car were all damaged.
“My car is not insured and I don’t have the money to fix it.”
None of the family suffered injuries in the incident. Police spokesperson Sergeant Khalipha Mvula, confirming the attack, said it happened on Capella Street, a short distance from Trade Route Mall.
He said that an attempted land invasion took place earlier on Monday near the shopping complex.
Authorities, including members of the SAPS as well as the Joburg metro police department, arrived on the scene and began to remove the land invaders’ structures.
Mvula said this infuriated those who were gathered at the scene, and they then resorted to protest on the main routes around the mall by stoning passing motorists.
This was when the group had confronted the Sohail family and hurled objects at their vehicle. “A case of public violence has been opened. No one has been arrested yet,” said Mvula.
The Saturday Star