Ian Cameron Speaks Up After SAPS Arrests 2 Suspects for Philippi Attack

• Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Ian Cameron opened up after he and two other DA MPs were attacked in Philippi, Western Cape
• Cameron, Nicholas Gotsell, and Lisa Schickerling were victims of an attempted hijacking after their oversight visit to a SAPS training academy
• Cameron said it was a serious and deliberate attack, and South Africans discussed the incident, with some wishing him well

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE — Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Ian Cameron said the incident in which he and two other DA members were attacked in Philippi in the Western Cape on 19 August was a calculated attack.

Cameron posted on his @IanCameron23 X account hours after the incident happened. He, Lisa Schickerling, and Nicholas Gotsell were attacked during an attempted hijacking after their return from an oversight visit at the South African Police Service Training Academy close to Phillippi East. They escaped with minor injuries. A suspect was arrested when he sought medical attention after he was allegedly shot by one of the occupants of the MPs' vehicle.

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Ian Cameron and 2 DA Members of Parliament attacked during oversight visit in Western Cape

A calculated attack: Cameron

Cameron said that the attack was vicious and deliberate, and it underscored the risks faced during oversight work.

"But incidents like this will not deter us. We remain determined to carry out our responsibility to ensure accountability and safety," he said.

View the X tweet here:

The attack was not the first attack that members of the Democratic Alliance suffered from. In 2024, members of the party were attacked while putting up posters during the 2024 general election campaign. One of the members fell and was injured, and a case was opened.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on X shared different views of the attack.

Maso Nqawee said:

"Add this incident to your oversight report and know that our ordinary citizens experience this every day."

Simon Grindrod said:

"Wishing you and your colleagues a speedy recovery from the injuries and trauma."

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Badboy asked:

"How did all those mentioned people end up helping you? People are going through that every day there with no help."

Jaco Prins said:

"Glad to hear you could return home safely and remain determined to make a difference. Wishing you a quick recovery for you and the other two injured MPs."

MDK Brothers said:

"Now you know what we go through daily."

Democratic Alliance condemns alleged racial incident

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance condemned a verbal attack against one of its councillors in eThekwini in November 2024. The incident took place during a council meeting.

An unnamed councillor allegedly attacked the DA's PR councillor, Yogis Govender, and told her to go back to Bombay. The party condemned the incident and said it highlighted deep-seated racism that is prevalent among politicians. It also said the party would seek to take action against the speaker.

Source: Briefly News