20-Year-Old Shot Dead While Fixing Stolen Car In Philippi

A Mitchells Plain family got more than they bargained for when they tracked down their stolen car — only to find it at a crime scene with a dead man behind it.

The 20-year-old man was shot in the face and killed on Sunday morning while working on the green Fiat Uno at the corner of Stock Road and Govan Mbeki Drive near the BP Garage in Philippi East.

The bonnet was open when police arrived, suggesting he’d been checking the engine moments before the fatal shooting.

Family Tracks Car After Theft at Liberty Promenade

The car’s owner, Avril Idas of Tafelsig, said her Fiat Uno had been stolen less than 24 hours earlier from Liberty Promenade Mall.

“We were coming from my granddaughter’s graduation and went to Pick n Pay to buy a few things,” Idas said.

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“Not even 30 minutes later, when we came out, the car was gone. We watched the CCTV footage and saw two guys get in the car as if it was theirs.”

She turned to a local tracker known as Sniper from Spot on Crime and Emergency, who traced the vehicle to Philippi East early Sunday morning.

‘We Found Our Car — and a Body’

“When we got there, it was tragic,” Idas said. “There was blood on the tyre and the body was still lying there. Another person was also wounded.”

She added that the car often had to be started by opening the bonnet — which could explain why the shooter caught the man off guard.
“We feel bad because he has a family — that’s someone’s son,” she said. “We got our car back, but we’re going to sell it. It doesn’t feel right to keep it after what happened.”

Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that a murder case had been opened.
“The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation,” he said. “The motive for the attack is believed to be robbery”.

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