CAPE TOWN - “I blacked out when the brick hit my head and there was a lot of blood."
These are the words of DA MP Nicholas Gotsell, describing the ‘brutal ’attack’ he and the chair of Parliament’s police portfolio committee Ian Cameron, and fellow MP Lisa-Maré Schickslerling endured in Philippi, on Tuesday.
The trio had just left the SAPS training college when men armed with bricks surrounded their vehicle.
Gotsell suffered lacerations to his head, while Cameron was injured on the lip and chin.
Schicklerling was hit with a brick on the back of her head.
According to Gotsell moments before the attack, an unknown, local man, warned them to be careful.
“At the first intersection, a gentleman who was clearly a local asked Cameron to roll down his window and told us to be careful. Moments after crossing the intersection, someone threw a brick through the window. I looked back to check if Schickslerling was ok because she was sitting in the back seat.”
Gotsell expressed concern saying the attackers, although he does not recall their identities, were young.
“It was worrying to hear that they were young people and raises concerns about our society, the kind of young men we are raising, but also reminding me that we have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Gotsell says they did not take security because unannounced visits are essential to their oversight work and would defeat their purpose if they announced.
Additionally, he says they could not call for backup as they were already aware of the strain felt by law enforcement.
“We know how under resourced our police are. I would not feel comfortable taking those resources from an already hamstrung police service and those that are meant to protect other communities,” he said.
Cameron confirmed that they had been warned before they were attacked and Schickslerling’s uneasiness after that.
So far two teenagers have been arrested in connection to the attack, and a third is still on the run.
Police are searching for a third suspect in connection with the attack on three DA MPs.
To date police have arrested two teenagers.