Ian Cameron not deterred after attack on him, 2 MPs in Phillipi

CAPE TOWN - Parliament's Police Committee Chairperson, Ian Cameron, said the attack in Philippi will not deter them from doing their work.

Cameron and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) member Nicholas Gotsell were wounded during what could have been a smash-and-grab or attempted hijacking on Tuesday.

Fellow Democratic Alliance (DA) member of Parliament (MP) Lisa Schickerling was also in the vehicle, as they left an oversight visit to the Police Training College in Philippi.

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Cameron said the attack underscores the risks faced during oversight work, but he and his colleagues remain determined to carry out their responsibilities to ensure accountability and safety.

Cameron has, for several years, been on the ground in various communities, experiencing first-hand the issues plaguing them.

An 18-year-old suspect, who was shot during the attack, is in hospital under police guard, while officers apprehended a 16-year-old suspect in Browns Farm in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police said a third arrest is imminent.

Meanwhile, Gotsell said it’s still too early to say whether an attack that left him and two colleagues injured was targeted.

Speaking on the Midday Report on Wednesday, Gotsell said he remains uncertain about the motive.

“You know I do not want to speculate, my personal feeling is that it was an opportunistic attack. It was a little bit strange. I was told there was another attack on a Vodacom employee earlier in the day that might show us the brazenness and the fact that they know they can get away.”