Man accused of shooting Van Heerden granted bail

Sabelo Dlamini, a security guard who allegedly shot and killed Daniel Christoffel van Heerden was granted R5000 bail at the Vereeniging Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

A dramatic video of the incident emerged on social media apparently showing the moments leading up to the shooting. In the clip, the security guard can be seen apparently firing at least one shot at Van Heerden’s bakkie, claiming: “You hijacked me.”

Van Heerden then shouts at him and apparently flings the key back at him, saying: “I never hijacked you … There’s your f***ing key.”

The suspect reportedly claimed he’d felt threatened, and Van Heerden can be heard in the clip warning the armed man: “Shoot … I’m gonna lock you up.”

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini confirmed to The Citizen that the suspect was arrested and is still in custody. He will appear in the Vereeniging Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Dlamini also confirmed that they believe Van Heerden was shot and killed in the seconds after the video clip ends.

Details from the victim’s family on Facebook suggested the altercation took place near a scrap yard in Meyerton on Tuesday afternoon, but his family confirmed it in fact happened on Thursday. The security guard appears to have believed he was being hijacked after Van Heerden can be seen taking the keys to his vehicle and warning that he would call the police, but the details around the incident are not yet clear. It allegedly related to Van Heerden confronting the guard about meat being offloaded from the bakkie.

According to global boxing news site WBN, the victim was father to 13 children including former IBO welterweight champion Chris van Heerden.

Read more: Shocking video emerges allegedly showing murder of boxer Chris van Heerden’s father

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