Lynn Williams
A Gqeberha taxi driver was in the dock in the city's high court on Thursday, to testify in the murder trial of Sergeant Mario Nel.
Nel, 42, was killed in the line of duty at the Motherwell Magistrate's Court on 3 May last year.
The state alleges that Andile Nyoka attacked Nel from behind and grabbed his service pistol.
Nel was shot in the head while he and Nyoka allegedly wrestled for possession of the gun.
The court previously heard evidence that Nyoka had allegedly left the court with Nel's service pistol after the shooting and that he hijacked a taxi driver, demanding that the driver take him to Korsten.
The driver, Thozamile Kana testified that he was in the Motherwell area at around 10:00 looking for commuters who were on their way to Korsten or going into town.
He said the man, who he identified as the accused, got into his taxi wearing a red top and green tracksuit pants.
According to Kana, Nyoka indicated that he wanted to go to Korsten.
He said when Nyoka started to call out the stops as the taxi was en route, he told him he did not need a conductor.
It was at this point that Nyoka allegedly produced a firearm and threatened to shoot Kana, he testified.
The court heard that Nyoka then went to sit in the backseat.
At some point while driving in Sisulu Street, Nyoka spotted an unmarked police van and commented that he was not afraid of the police.
Kana said Nyoka uttered the words: "There is the police. I am going to shoot them until they sh*t."
Kana tried to get the attention of the police officers by flickering the lights of the taxi, but they did not notice.
He then drove his taxi as close to the police van as he could, alighted from the moving vehicle, and ran in their direction to alert them that there was a man in his taxi wielding a gun.
Kana explained how a shootout ensued between Nyoka and the police and how the moving taxi collided with a lampost.
Nyoka was wounded during the shootout and had to be transported to a hospital after he was arrested.
The trial continues.
