Bozwana's employee survives 'attempted hit'

Johannesburg - Slain North West businessman Wandile Bozwana’s employee allegedly survived an attempted hit at the same highway off-ramp where his boss was killed.

Family spokesperson Benedict Bozwana told News24 that a shot was fired at the car belonging to Piet Brink, a senior employee of the Orgazma Special Energy Drink company.

“Yesterday [Sunday] one of his employees was followed and one shot was fired at his car. He had to take a wrong off-ramp in Pretoria just to get away. He is one of the key personnel who is handling sensitive information,” he said.

According to Benedict Bozwana, Brink left the office at 14:00 on Sunday afternoon and soon realised he was being followed. As he was approaching the turn-off to Garsfontein, a car allegedly pulled up alongside him.

The passenger in the car then rolled down his window.

“He saw one person with a gun. He applied the brakes before speeding off. He passed the Garsfontein off-ramp and went to the Atterbury. As he was driving, he heard a gunshot and proceeded to the police station to report the matter. The bullet did not hit his car,” said Bozwana.

About 12 bullets hit car

The incident occurred at the same off-ramp where Wandile Bozwana was shot and killed in what many people, including the family, believe was a hit. He died in hospital on Friday night following the shooting.

Wandile and a colleague, Mpho Baloyi, were travelling on the N1 north from Johannesburg at about 16:00 when gunmen in a silver grey BMW M3 allegedly pulled up next to their car near the Garsfontein off-ramp and opened fire on the branded Renault Clio.

About 12 bullets hit the car with nine of them hitting Wandile Bozwana, five in the lower back. Baloyi - who was driving the Clio - was shot twice, but managed to drive to a car dealership near Menlyn Shopping Centre to seek help.

No arrests have been made for Wandile’s murder and the attempted murder of Baloyi, said police spokesperson Sergeant Asnath Malatji.

Malatji said she did not have information regarding the attempted hit on Brink.

‘Right now, everybody is a suspect’

Benedict Bozwana added that the family was troubled by the incident and the police’s investigations. He said the longer it took to make arrests, the more lives may be in danger.

“From the number of bullets that were fired, it is definitely a hit. They wanted to make sure that he was dead.

“At this stage, everybody is a suspect but we can’t point fingers. We will allow police to do their work but following the attempt on Piet, people think their lives are in danger. They are not finished with my brother, they are now going after his employees,” he said.

Wandile Bozwana was a businessman, ANC funder and former provincial treasurer.

Outspoken businessman

He took the provincial government to court on numerous occasions.

In September he won a court case to attach a state bank account – with a R30m balance and 44 vehicles belonging to the province’s public works department – over a disputed payment.

The bank account, known as the revenue fund, consisted of the exchequer account, used to receive the province’s equitable share from Treasury for investment purposes, and the paymaster and general account, used for the department to attend to its daily operations.

The provincial government took the case to the Constitutional Court and argued that the court orders attaching the bank account and vehicles, and a section of the State Liability Act, prohibits that such orders be granted.

Wandile organised a group of businessmen who accused North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo of enriching himself, interfering in government procurement and influencing the awarding of tenders to those close to him.

He will be buried on Saturday in Pretoria. A memorial service has been arranged for Tuesday in Kuruman in the Northern Cape.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.