Cape mom hit by stray bullet fighting for her life

SCENE: Shots fired at Bonteheuwel Avenue

SCENE: Shots fired at Bonteheuwel Avenue

Published Sep 21, 2018

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Cape Town - A young mom from Bonteheuwel is fighting for her life after being struck by a gang bullet while walking to the shop on Wednesday.

The family of Fatiema Boyce, 27, say they are devastated by the shooting which saw a bullet explode inside her abdomen, severely damaging several organs.

Aunt Ilhaam, 42, says she was in her kitchen and heard the shots, followed by the screams of Fatiema’s friend, saying she had been shot on the corner of Bonteheuwel Avenue and Terblans Road.

“I ran to her and she was lying there. The bullet went through the right side of her stomach and she was bleeding internally.

“They just carried on shooting and I had to lie over her to protect her,” the traumatised woman says.

Her brother, Munier, rushed her to the day hospital where the family was told she was in a critical condition and needed to be taken to Groote Schuur Hospital.

Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut, confirms the shooting and says the circumstances are being investigated and no arrests have been made.

Damage

Fatiema underwent an emergency operation but as she was too weak, doctors opted to put her in a medically induced coma.

Fatiema’s sister, Zainab Fagodien, told the Daily Voice yesterday: “She was supposed to go for the op on Friday, but the doctors told us they must take her back to fix the damage.

“They already removed a part of her intestines and most of her organs are damaged.”

Standing in a hospital corridor, Zainab cried as she explained that Fatiema is a single mother raising her seven-year-old daughter, Kashiefa, while also helping to look after her sick mom.

She says the family is calling on Bonteheuwel residents to pray with them for Fatiema to survive as they have already lost two relatives to gang violence.

Fatiema’s cousin, Ebrahim Lambert, was shot and killed in Mitchells Plain last month while fetching water for his family.

The young dad and Islamic scholar died after being shot 16 times in the back.

“First it was Ebrahiem in Mitchells Plain, then my cousin Adenaan in Retreat, and now Fatiema,” says Zainab.

Dying

“We have two innocent people in our family that have died due to gang violence and we call on the people of Bonteheuwel to pray with us for Fatiema.

“But we also ask the gangsters to stop this shooting, innocent people are dying in all of this.”

Daily Voice

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