Cape Town police have confirmed that a second teenager has been arrested in connection with the violent incident where three DA MPs were attacked in Philippi on Tuesday afternoon.
Second suspect arrested after DA MPs attacked
The 16-year-old was apprehended in Browns Farm in the early hours of Wednesday morning and has since been charged.
According to SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, the arrest follows the capture of the first suspect, an 18-year-old male, on Tuesday night. He was caught while seeking medical attention at a hospital in Lentegeur after being shot during the confrontation.
Police believe one of the MPs fired the shot in self-defence.
Both suspects are facing charges of attempted murder and attempted hijacking. Police said investigations are ongoing, with a third arrest expected.
How the attack unfolded
The attack happened at the busy intersection of New Eisleben and Govan Mbeki Roads in Philippi at around 16:00 (SAST).
Three Democratic Alliance MPs — Portfolio Committee on Police Chairperson Ian Cameron, Lisa Schickerling, and Nicholas Gotsell — were travelling together when their vehicle was ambushed by a group of men.
Unknown suspects smashed the car’s windows and threw bricks at the occupants. Cameron described the ordeal as “horrific”, explaining that he fought back in an effort to protect his colleagues.
“They threw bricks at the vehicle. I managed to hit one of them, but they kept coming back. I tried fighting back, and when I looked at Nicholas, his body was on his lap. I took out my gun and shot. I am not sure if I hit anyone. The incident left me with broken teeth, and I had so much blood on my clothes,” he recounted.
Gotsell was taken to hospital but is in stable condition. Cameron sustained minor injuries, while Schickerling escaped without harm.
DA condemns violence and calls for more policing
The Democratic Alliance condemned the attack, saying it highlighted the dangers ordinary South Africans face daily in high-crime communities.
“This incident is a portrayal of the out-of-control crime that South Africans face daily. No one is exempt from it. We again call on the Minister of Police to properly resource SAPS in crime-ridden areas such as Philippi,” DA Chief Whip George Michalakis said.
Michalakis praised the quick response of the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape provincial government, police, and emergency medical services, noting that their intervention prevented further harm to the MPs.
Western Cape provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile confirmed that police responded to the scene and that two MPs were injured. He said an ambulance was dispatched and that detectives were investigating possible motives.
“In most smash-and-grab incidents, the motive is robbery, hijacking, or theft out of a motor vehicle. At this stage, we do not know what was stolen,” Patekile said.
Local community leader Dumisani Qwebe condemned the violence, describing it as a “wake-up call.” He noted that the intersection is usually monitored by police and CCTV cameras, which may help identify the remaining suspect.
“That intersection was not so bad, and we are surprised because there is always police visibility. Now we must make sure that it is always monitored. There is a CCTV camera, and hopefully we will find something from it,” Qwebe added.
Police have confirmed that the search for the third suspect is ongoing.