Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Warriors’ captain Willard Katsande refused to withdraw charges of common assault and malicious damage to property against Jacobus Koekemoer, saying he wants justice to prevail.
Koekemoer left the former Kaizer Chiefs and Sekhukhune United defensive midfielder bloodied in August, when he smashed his driver’s side window and then punched him several times.
The incident happened in Johannesburg’s Roodepoort and left Katsande traumatised, as his attacker also caused damage to the player’s top-of-the-range BMW. The estimated value of damage was set at R50 000.
Reliving the nasty night during an interview on a YouTube sports show #PrimeSportsWithMahlatse, Katsande said his assailant tried several times to get him to withdraw the charges, blaming his action on stress.
“That was a scary experience and there’s a need to educate people through this platform. It’s too sensitive. I was coming from a defeat to Chippa United and I was driving slowly around 40km per hour when this guy drove by my side and showed me the middle finger.
I then accelerated trying to move away, but he blocked me. He then started driving in zig-zag until he blocked me at the traffic lights and came out to break my window.
“He punched me several times on the head and as I tried to release my seat belt, it locked, giving him more time to hit me. When I managed to free myself, I went outside and moved to the side of my car as I feared that he might have a knife or a gun, but he kept on hitting my car. I asked myself what wrong did I do? Was the guy jealous that I was driving a better car than his or was it a racial attack?” recalled Katsande.
He said Koekemoer sped off after the attack, but luckily, he had managed to get his vehicle’s number plate.
Koekemoer was driving a white Ford EcoSport.
“I was disappointed to learn that it was his (Koekemoer) fourth or fifth attack when he came asking me to withdraw the case. I declined and said if it is about money, I can fix my car. What I want is justice,” Katsande said.
The former Gunners and Ajax Cape Town player opened up about his childhood, early days at Kaizer Chiefs and side hustles.
*Read more on what the future holds for Katsande in tomorrow’s Chronicle Sport.
— @ZililoR
Online Reporter