Teen expected in court in connection with attack on 3 MPs in Philippi

CAPE TOWN - A 16-year-old boy is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning in connection with the attack on three Democratic Alliance (DA) MPs in Philippi.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, Ian Cameron and his colleagues, Nicholas Gotsell and Lisa Schickerling, sustained injuries in an attempted hijacking on Tuesday.

They were returning from an oversight visit to the police training college in Philippi when they came under attack in their vehicle.

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A second suspect, also a teenager, is expected to appear in absentia, as he remains in hospital.

The 18-year-old was shot during the attack.

In an interview on Capetalk on Wednesday, Cameron confirmed that he was in possession of a firearm, and during the fracas, did what needed to be done to defend himself and his colleagues.

Cameron has, for a number of years, been on the ground in various communities, experiencing firsthand the issues plaguing them.

"In these areas, I've often walked up to gang members, I've spent time sitting on the floor with them, on the grass somewhere in Mitchells Plain, and just asking them how did they get to where they are and why this is happening, what's wrong etcetera, and the problem is these kids are exposed to serious violence from such a young age."

Cameron said that while Tuesday's incident was a serious and deliberate attack that underscored the risks faced during oversight work, the attack would not deter them from doing their work.

"What was scary about it is that they just kept on coming, they weren't deterred in any way... two, three, four times... as soon as we pushed back, they would just come back again. They were very determined."