A man who lost his eye during the #FeesMustFall protest is intent on suing the police.
Wilson Seima (30) was on his way home after work on 10 October when police shot him in the eye with a rubber bullet that completely destroyed his right eye.
A shattered Seima said that ever since he lost his eye, his life has changed forever. “On the day, I had left work and due to the chaos I could see on the streets of Braamfontein decided to take a different route as I was hoping it would be safer. As I was walking down one street, I saw a large crowd of protesters running in my direction, I decided to stand and not run away as I was not sure why the protesters were running. Out of nowhere, I was hit by a rubber bullet in the eye,” he said.
An emotional Seima painted a painful picture as he describes how he staggered and fell on the ground after he was shot by a rubber bullet.
“I managed to stagger into a store that was opened and that is when two students helped me to get to the paramedics that were stationed next to the bus that was burnt by the protesters.”
He was taken to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital where he was told that he had lost his eye and that he would only have the use of his left eye for the rest of his life.
“The pain was so bad, I thought that I would die. I had no energy and vomited and bled quite a lot. When they told me that I had lost my eye I was really shocked,” he said.
Seima who works as a cleaner in Braamfontein said he laid the blame squarely on police who he said were shooting at anyone in the streets and that he was an innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire between protesting students and the police.
“When I saw my face for the first time after doctors had removed my eye, I became so sad and angry at the same because I am the one who must live with a scarred face for the rest of my life,” he added.
Seima’s lawyer, Sefoka Machaba from Machaba Attorneys said that due to the injuries inflicted upon Seima, they intended to institute action against the State for the damages suffered as a result of the violence which took place on the 10 October.
Section head of organisational communication, Brigadier Sally de Beer, said her office could not comment on the matter due to the fact that it would seem that litigation is pending. She added that the matter would be dealt with by their legal services should a civil claim be submitted.
