Wounded Kouga councillor’s sons shot outside club
As DA councillor Jaques Alexander awaits surgery to have bullets removed, two of his sons are now recovering in hospital after being shot outside a Jeffreys Bay nightclub during the early hours of yesterday.
Alexander, a Kouga mayoral committee member, said it was unclear if the attempt on his life, which left him with six bullet wounds on February 29, and the shooting of his sons were linked.
DA Eastern Cape leader Andrew Whitfield said the party would assist Alexander to further beef up security for him and his family.
He said they would also consider temporarily relocating the family until the perpetrators had been brought to book.
Alexander, 49, said yesterday that he had very little information about the incident involving his sons, aged 19 and 24, other than that it had happened at a nightclub earlier that morning.
“At this stage, I can do nothing more than confirm that they were wounded and that they are in a stable condition in hospital,” he said.
“The motive is still unknown.
“I can’t say this incident is related to the attempt on my life.
“It could have been random or related to something that happened at the club.
“I honestly don’t know at this stage.”
According to police reports, the two brothers, whose names have been withheld for their safety, were standing outside a club in Pellsrus shortly before 1am when the shooting took place.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the brothers had both been shot in the stomach by an unknown person.
They were admitted to a hospital in Gqeberha where they are still receiving treatment.
This incident comes 17 days after Alexander was shot multiple times outside the Kouga Municipality offices in Da Gama Road, Jeffreys Bay, while still seated in his vehicle.
He had been in back-toback meetings that day and had returned to the office at about 3.45pm when he came under attack.
He was shot in the back and arm.
Four of the six bullets that hit him are still lodged in his body.
He is expected to undergo surgery later this month to have them removed.
Kouga law enforcement officials managed to arrest two suspects linked to Alexander’s shooting within minutes of the
crime as they fled on foot.
Two more suspects were apprehended later that day.
A 9mm firearm was also recovered in a yard near the scene of the shooting.
Since then, Luciano Jacobs, Athenkosi Gidane, Mthumzi Gani and Lutho Mbatha have appeared twice in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court, where they abandoned their bids for bail.
They each face a charge of attempted murder and are expected back in court on April 19.
Last week, Alexander said he had called a family meeting to discuss safety and security concerns with his wife and children.
He said he was concerned that his family was being targeted and had already taken steps to improve security around his home, which included posting armed guards outside.
However, he said their safety outside their Humansdorp home was still worrisome as it was unclear who was behind the attempt on his life.
Shortly after Alexander was shot, the DA condemned the attempt on his life, calling it “brutal, senseless and cowardly”.
Whitfield said at the time that the party believed the attack to be politically motivated, and commended the police for their swift action in arresting the four suspects.
Asked about yesterday’s incident, Whitfield said he had been in contact with Alexander and other councillors in Kouga and he could not exclude the possibility that the attack on the two young brothers was also politically fuelled.
“We are taking the safety of Alexander and his family very seriously and measures will be put in place to improve security around them and their home.
“For obvious reasons, we will not disclose what these additional security measures will be, but I can say that we will discuss the matter with the councillor and will consider relocating him and his family temporarily if it is deemed necessary.”
Besides Alexander, Whitfield said the safety of every councillor was a major concern as elections were looming, and he had been in contact with the mayor and other councillors to discuss safety measures where needed.
“We will do all we can to ensure the safety of our members, and we leave the investigation of the two shootings involving the Alexander family in the hands of the police.
“We hope the culprits are brought to book swiftly,” he said.