Bikers across Cape Town have staged a mass ride to the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court to protest the murder case proceedings of slain biker, Zelda Van Niekerk (45).
Niekerk was attacked by three robbers last Friday afternoon and shot while waiting for another biker on the N1 highway beneath the bridge of the N7.
Speaking to IOL, friend and fellow biker of Van Niekerk, Jaco Wessels, revealed that was on her way to Fish Hoek to escort children to a matric ball event when the incident occurred.
“She was waiting for another biker who was three minutes late when the shooting happened,” he said. “When the biker arrived, they found that a motorist had stopped and was trying to resuscitate her. From what we can tell, she was shot once in the stomach, but was declared dead on the scene.”
A suspect was arrested within hours of the attack following an anonymous tipoff. Authorities were informed that a firearm was being kept in a home in Kensington.
“The officers searched the house and a male occupant. They found a fully loaded .38 chrome special revolver on top of a wardrobe, 10 live rounds of ammunition as well as different bank cards and a driver’s licence in a dustbin,” Ruth Solomons, City of Cape Metro Police spokesperson, said. “It was found that the cards belonged to the woman who was robbed on the N1 under the N7 bridge earlier that day. The 33-year-old suspect was charged with possession of an illegal firearm, suspected stolen property, illegal possession of ammunition and is also suspected of murder, pending the outcome of a ballistics test of the firearm which will be conducted by SAPS.”
Although one suspect was arrested, two others are still being sought.
According to Wessels, Van Niekerk’s death has both angered and shocked many of her fellow bikers, as she played a big part in many charity drives.
“She was living in Edgemead with her partner of two years but about a month ago, her partner died of cancer and she moved to Table View,” he said. “She has a five-year-old son from a previous relationship whom she legally adopted. She was the driving force of Bikers with a Cause and did several charity and cancer drives. The okes are very angry about her death and a pic of him is already circulating. This was an opportunistic crime.”
Wessels added that another drive will be staged after Van Niekerk’s funeral.
Picture: Pixabay