Education official survives highway hit

The hole left by the single bullet that hit education official Judy Dlamini's car. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi and Supplied

The hole left by the single bullet that hit education official Judy Dlamini's car. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi and Supplied

Published Feb 10, 2016

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Durban - An outspoken senior official in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is counting her blessings after surviving a near-fatal hit on the M13 highway when gunmen opened fire on her.

Judy Dlamini, the deputy director-general for institutional development, was not hurt when shots were fired at her from a white BMW on the M13 near Hillcrest on Monday. She had been on her way to a meeting with other senior officials in Durban.

A single bullet was fired at her silver Mercedes-Benz C200 after she had tried to evade the BMW she had noticed tailing her around the Hammarsdale off-ramp while she was still on the N3 highway.

She was on her way to a matric turnaround planning meeting in Glenwood, Durban, when the men fired at her.

SAPS spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, said police were investigating a case of attempted murder. He said the motive for the shooting was unknown, and no arrests had been made.

Speaking to the Daily News from her Pietermaritzburg home on Tuesday, Dlamini said she was shaken by the incident and appealed to the Department of Education to provide her with bodyguards.

About two years ago, Dlamini survived a similar attack after she spoke out against companies that were unfairly benefiting from the National School Nutrition Programme. The threats diminished after the feeding programme was taken over by the Education Department head office.

She had had argued it was wrong for one company to supply more than 300 schools, to the exclusion of local smaller businesses.

Recalling Monday’s events, Dlamini said she left her Pietermaritzburg home before 6am with a bad feeling in her stomach.

“I took my old Mercedes-Benz with the Umkhonto WeSizwe sticker and dimmed windows because of this premonition that I had. I just knew that things are not going to be okay today. I wanted to be driven because I was scared to go alone, but there was no one available, so I drove myself,” she said.

While driving on the N3 – as she switched lanes, slowed down and accelerated – she noticed a white BMW with no number plates following her.

“In an attempt to evade this car, I took the M13 through Hillcrest and they still followed. They drove at speed and overtook me and when they were next to me, they fired a single gunshot through the back door window and it exited through the passenger side,” she said.

The shooters sped away while Dlamini, who was not hurt, drove to Crompton Hospital in Pinetown, where she was treated for trauma and stabilised – her blood pressure had soared to more than 200.

“I am still dazed, confused and totally blank about who wanted to kill me, because the reality is, if I had a driver, I might have been killed because I would have been in the back seat,” she said.

“I just thank God that I survived. I don’t have the slightest clue who is responsible for this. I am just worried after this ordeal about how I will travel in peace across the province because we are always on the road. Will I be safe?” she asked.

“The department must do something, there is a serious threat to my security. If they see me as an asset to the organisation, they will protect me,” she said.

KZN Department of Education spokesman, Muzi Mahlambi, said they were surprised by the attack and were trying to find the motive for it.

He urged police to speed up their investigations and bring the perpetrators to book.

“We thank God she was unharmed in the incident,” he said.

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Daily News

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