‘Jehovah sent me to kill you’
Victim tells of unexpected panga attack at work
“I WAS sent by Jehovah’s Witnesses to kill all other religions and races.” That’s what an employee at a Hyundai dealership in Burgersfort, Limpopo, was told by a man who went on to attack him with a panga, last Monday afternoon.
Mohamed Husain Tayob, 33, the dealer principal at Hyundai, said he was at his work desk when the incident happened.
Tayob said: “I first heard a sound like a lion roaring. I turned around and saw an unknown man with a panga (knife) in his hand making those sounds while charging towards me.
“He mentioned something about our business being built on his ancestral land and that he was sent by Jehovah’s Witnesses to kill all other religions and races.”
Tayob said he had a firearm on hand, which he drew and kept at his side.
“The unknown man then continued towards me and started attacking me. I tried to stop him and grabbed the panga but he continued striking me. He wrestled me to the ground at which stage I cocked the firearm and fired one shot which hit him in the buttocks.”
Tayob said he tried to remove the panga from the man, but the man continued to attack him.
“He continued fighting and striking me with the panga. I eventually managed to grab the panga and scream for help. By then the other staff members came in and I gave the panga to one of them and then moved away.”
Tayob suffered injuries to his head, hands and upper body. He was taken to hospital. He said it was the first time he had seen the man.
“I did see this unknown man earlier in the day, about 30 minutes before the incident. He came to speak to my father but he was not making any sense, so my father told him that he was busy and should come see him some other time. It was also the first time that my father saw this man.
“The unknown man was not a client. When he came earlier to speak to my father, he mentioned that he was sent by Jehovah’s Witnesses to kill all other religions and races. He proceeded to say our business was built on his ancestral land, which he wanted to reclaim so he could build Jerusalem.
“We realised that he may not be mentally stable and did not take him seriously until he returned and attacked me and made the same utterances he made to my father,” said Tayob.
The incident was captured on CCTV and the video footage was made available to the SAPS.
“The incident was immediately reported to Burgersfort SAPS, who chose to charge me with attempted murder rather than charging the attacker. They refused to charge the attacker initially.
“I was arrested even with video evidence clearly showing that I was defending myself.
“When the case was brought to the attention of a senior public prosecutor, he chose not to proceed with charges against me as he was satisfied that this was a clear case of self-defence, which is evident from the video footage.
“We were required to go to the police station the next day to open a case against the attacker even though we called the police to help and they failed to charge the attacker.
“Justice makes no sense at all. The innocent are charged but the guilty have rights.
“The video footage shows that I was attacked with a dangerous weapon and had I not defended myself, I probably would not have been here today. The attacker was unknown to us until that day when he came in earlier, before the incident took place.”
A case of attempted murder with the purpose to inflict grievous bodily harm was opened in Burgersfort SAPS.
Several attempts to get police comments were unsuccessful.
Mzamo Goloda, national spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said: “We are saddened to hear about the attack. Please note that as Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is the first time we are hearing about this incident. We are well known as peaceful and loving people.”