G-West shoot-out survivor to sue police
Sharon Mathala | Monday March 13, 2023 06:00
Now he lives to tell the tale as he recollects the day he was mistakenly shot by the police in a cash-in-transit (CIT) encounter. This week Matsoga speaks to Mmegi about the grueling encounter.
Matsoga has now slapped Botswana Police Service (BPS) with an intention to sue as he demands redress for damages, emotional suffering, trauma and loss of business.
He has recovered from the gun wounds, which he says took two about months to heal. The gun shot survivor was mistakenly shot by the police in a cross fire between the men in blue and suspected robbers at a Sefalana Cash and Carry store in Gaborone West last year. From the shoot-out, five people died, two bystanders and three suspected robbers.
Through a statement the police confirmed: “The police swiftly responded to the report and the exchange of fire ensued leading to the death of the trio and the bystanders. A pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition, cash amounting to over P649 000 and other stolen items were recovered.” Matsoga was also shot but fortunately he survived to tell his tale.
He tells Mmegi that on the day he had been contracted by the store to provide Deejaying services as the shop aimed to attract customers for the Black Friday specials fever. He says he had completed his work and was waiting for payment and little did he know that he would cheat death by whisker a few minutes later. He says the time was just after 5pm when he was waiting for the store manager by his Honda Fit vehicle which he estimates was parked about 10 metres adjacent to the store entrance.
According to the survivor, just as he was waiting, he suddenly heard a loud bang from an abrupt gun shot. He ran for cover. “At the time I did not know what was going on. I heard a loud bang and the gun shots started pouring in. I then ran inside my car to hide. Bullets flew from all directions,” he remembers clearly. Matsoga says as he was hiding inside his black Honda fit vehicle, he was accompanied by a young female friend, little did he know she will be his lifeline. “Whilst we were still covering ourselves in the car, bullets started hitting our car.
I later realised that I was bleeding as one of the bullets had cut through my body. Blood was gushing out of my chest. At the time we were not very acquainted to each other. My female companion was panicking and screaming,” he further shares. According to Matsoga, a few minutes later, two uniformed police who had been shooting at them, turned up by the front door of the car and they identified themselves as the police. They had guns aimed at the victims and Matsoga recalls being asked by one of the police, “Are you one of them? Are you South African?” He says at that point him and his female companion had their hands up in the air, screaming. “We are not with them. We don’t know what you are talking about. Please help me I am bleeding. I am dying,” he recalls desperately shouting for help.
The survivor says amidst the chaos, one of the officers then shouted, “He is with a child in the passenger seat. He is not one of them.” According to Matsoga, it was only after the police realised he was with the young female companion that they were convinced he was not part of the “people they were looking for.” “Remember at the time I had no idea what was going on. I was just simply waiting for my money so that I too could benefit from the Black Friday specials. I sometimes believe that if I wasn’t with the young woman, I could have died on that day. I could have been killed mistakenly and luckily the bullet did not kill me,” he says as he takes off his shirt to show his bullet scar. The man further says the police officers left after realising he may not be part of the suspects and returned later to take him to the hospital.
“I am still traumatised by the experience. My vehicle was shot multiple times, I think about six bullets were directed at my car. They say it was stray bullets, but six of them? With one hitting me almost for dead? I don’t believe so and this is why I want the courts to intervene,” he said. The youthful survivor, who is an IT specialist, also talented in music, says he lost his business since the shooting. “The police gave me P43 000 in cash to fix my car and that was it,” he said. Reached for comment BPS spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Dipheko Motube said he was not aware of the intention to sue but promised to revert to Mmegi as soon as he has the information. The G-west Sefalana shoot-out came after another deadly shootout between the police and suspected CIT robbers which resulted in 10 deaths in Phase II (Gaborone). All cases are still before the Magistrate's Courts.