Driver sues SANDF over spiked trap

A LIMPOPO man was extremely traumatised when he drove into an SANDF roadblock with a spiked metal strip across the road one night.

Peter Nicholson from Musina still has flashbacks and will have to receive psychiatric treatment.

The spikes punctured all his tyres, and last week Nicholson said in papers before the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that he was grateful to be alive. The soldiers opened fire on him when he was “ambushed”.

He is claiming nearly R5 million in damages from the Minister of Defence, saying his life was threatened and his fundamental rights to movement violated.

He was travelling along the R525 between Tshipise and Bokmakierie in Limpopo on April 20, 2015 at around 8pm when his car suddenly struck a spiked expanding metal trap pulled across the road.

He heard the sound of semi-automatic rifle fire from the side of the road and realised he was under fire and being ambushed.

He managed to drive on despite the flat tyres and reached a farmhouse from where he alerted police.

The police arrested an SANDF officer stationed at the SMG Military Base in Musina and military police officers. Nicholson also laid charges of attempted murder, malicious damage to property and intimidation against the arrested officers. This case is still ongoing. Nicholson said there was no justification for the attack on him, as he did nothing wrong and was only driving along the road. He said he did not commit any offence nor pose a threat anyone.

He said the roadblock was not authorised in law and both his life and his property were in danger.

“The SANDF was not assisted by the police (in holding the roadblock) and there was no need for the use of deadly force against me,” he stated.

He said he was terrified by the attack and his vehicle was severely damaged and had bullet holes.

Nicholson’s lawyers posed questions to the SANDF but not one was answered. The court gave the SANDF 10 days to answer. If not, Nicholson will ask that the court grant him his R5m in damages.