The shooter who opened fire with an AK-47 firearm in one of the bars of the Highgate Hotel “knew what he was doing”.
This was the evidence of a ballistics expert testifying in the massacre that claimed the lives of five people and wounded seven others when balaclava-clad gunmen opened fire at the hotel on May 1 1993.
Almost 32 years later, the inquest is being held to determine if anyone can be held criminally liable for the attacks.
The matter was referred to the National Prosecuting Authority by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Testifying in the Special Tribunal court in East London on Tuesday, Colonel Victor van der Merwe said the shooter knew how to handle the firearm.
He said according to his ballistics tests, there were two AK-47s used on the tragic night. One gunman was in the ladies bar and another in the men’s bar.
“If he was just shooting, he would have at some stage missed people and hit other obstacles as well. He knew what he was doing,” Van der Merwe said.
The inquest continues.
Daily Dispatch
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