Staff Reporter
A driver and a bodyguard employed by Madibeng Local Municipality Mayor Douglas Maimane are due to appear in court on Monday on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice after the fatal shooting of a Pretoria father of two.
Michael Swanton, 36, a sergeant in the South African Air Force, was shot on Wednesday night while travelling with his wife on the R80, commonly known as the Mabopane main road, in the Hercules area north of Pretoria, according to police.
Gauteng police communications officer, colonel Dimakatso Sello, told Inside Metros the suspects will be appearing at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. Investigations are continuing, she said.
City Press reported that according to Swanton’s wife, Stephanie, an unmarked SUV fitted with a single blue light on the windscreen, tried to signal to their car to pull over while the couple was driving, but did not use a siren.
According to the statement Stephanie gave to the police, they did not pull over as the SUV had no official identification markings.
The couple continued towards Mabopane before being forced to stop. Police said the driver and passenger of the BMW got out. The passenger was carrying an R5 rifle, and questioned Swanton about a missing rear number plate on the couple’s car.
When the men returned to their vehicle, Swanton followed and asked to see their identification, the report said.
According to City Press, this is when the driver of the vehicle shot Swanton in the head with the R5 rifle.
Swanton died at the scene.
The mayor, who was allegedly in the vehicle, was driven away and was allegedly dropped at his home in Brits.
About two-and-a-half hours later, two suspects handed themselves in at the Hercules police station.
Police later seized two 9mm pistols, an R5 rifle and vehicles including a BMW X3 and a Toyota Fortuner, they said.
INSIDE METROS
