Mom wants police to pay for son’s injury
Rubber bullet lodged in cheek
The mother of a seven-yearold boy who has a rubber bullet lodged in his cheek wants the police officer who fired the shot to pay a heavy price.
North West mother Bonang Mmelesi, 32, was also shot, on her left hand, when the police allegedly opened fire on protesting residents of Ottoshop near Zeerust on Monday.
Mmelesi’s son Onthatile was left with a gaping hole in his cheek and a swollen face.
Mmelesi, who was not one of the protesters, said that at about 10am on Monday three police officers entered her yard while trying to disperse protesting residents.
“I told them to stop firing rubber bullets from my yard as there were children in the yard. They started swearing at me and threatened to shoot me as well,” she said.
“I told them that I will pour boiling water on them.”
The policemen left her yard, but about five minutes later they came back.
They drove into her yard and the officers pointed a gun at her before opening fire on her son, she alleged.
Panicking, Mmeletsi said she took her son to the police station and the same police ofmoney ficer who had opened fire on them was there.
“I told him that he had injured my son but he gave me one look and left the police station.”
She said another police officer called an ambulance and they were admitted to hospital. On Tuesday she went back to the police station to open a case.
“My son is going to live with a bad scar on his face. Other kids might make fun of him as his face is already deformed and it might hound him for the rest of his life,” she said.
“I want the police officer to pay for destroying my son and the trauma he suffered.”
Attorney Titswa Modise said he would help the family to open a civil case.
North West police spokesman Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone confirmed that a case of attempted murder was opened.
He said it would be investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.