JOHANNESBURG – A man who shot and killed his son at the Fred Norman High School in Ennerdale is expected to appear in the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

He allegedly thought his son was a hijacker and shot him before he realised who was at his car window.

On June 7, Sibusiso Tshabalala, 51, was released on a warning by the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court.

“The facts of the case are common cause between the State and the defence…the applicant has convinced me that he is eligible for bail,” Magistrate Maggie Van Der Merwe said at the time.

“I can only describe this incident as a tragedy and judging by the applicant’s display of emotions, it’s an incident that will impact them for the rest of their lives. The applicant has handed himself over to the police and cooperated with the police.”

She said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will decide whether the matter should proceed or not.

Earlier in June, Tshabalala was sleeping in his vehicle while waiting for his son, Luyanda, at evening classes after school when he heard knocking on his window and drew his firearm and fired several shots, apparently in the mistaken belief that it was car hijackers. Instead, he shot and killed his 14-year-old son.

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Tshabalala was joined by his wife in the dock and broke down in tears before proceedings began. He is facing a charge of murder.

Tshabalala handed himself over to the police following the incident. He explained to the court that he fell asleep in his car and was woken up by a loud noise and tampering with the car, which was when he thought he was being hijacked and he drew his firearm and shot, only to hear his son screaming “Daddy, it’s me.”

He said it was dark outside and he wasn’t able to see that it was his son.

African News Agency