I have two worries when I read this headline: the first, is that this guy is a pilot on an airline I fly very regularly, and that he has shot and killed someone (put those thoughts together and you certainly have the case for an over-stressed pilot headed for court). By all means, let your mind wander back to the Germanwings flight.

The second, is the sheer abundance of guns in this country which we sadly need to protect ourselves. Unfortunately they’re easily obtainable and get into the wrong hands.

We’re a slightly stressed out nation. I was on the phone last night to a friend in Joburg and we had to end the phone call as she was nearing her home and had to actually put all her concentration into checking for odd cars and people in her street.

But let’s back-up a bit to the SAA pilot and his story. He says he was driving with his two kids when “he claimed to have noticed the driver of an Isuzu attracting his attention with hand gestures”. Jaque van Tonder then says the other guy “addressed him in a rude, aggressive manner and called him an idiot”. Ensue a bit of back and forth language and then van Tonder’s gun came out and fatally wounded the other man.

I sincerely regret the death of the deceased, but had no intention of killing him.

Is hauling your gun out in an argument not a bit extreme? And why were they so angry at one another to begin with? Obviously we can’t hear the other side of the story, and I am sure there are two sides to it. The biggest problem here is the extreme aggression boiling over in this country, which is only made more troublesome with people being allowed to own weapons. It’s a bit of a catch-22 though.

Van Tonder has been granted a R10 000 bail and will be back in court on May 22 where he plans to plead not guilty.

[Source: News24]