Award-winning musician Bongani Fassie almost lost his hand when he was butchered with a panga in what appears to have been a failed hit on his life in Johannesburg at the weekend.
As a result of the incident, which has sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry, Fassie fears for his life.
Fassie, son of the late South African music icon Brena Fassie and former member of hip hop group Jozi, is even scared to open a criminal case against his attackers, as he is afraid they might come back to finish him off.
The hair-raising incident occurred a few weeks after Fassie received a blood-curdling message from an unknown person, who said he should have been the one who was killed instead of rap icon Kiernan “AKA” Forbes.
Forbes was gunned down outside the Wish restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on the evening of February 10, in what is believed to have been a contract killing.
Forbes, who was killed with his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, had gone to Durban to perform at Yugo nightclub that weekend.
Speaking to Sunday World on Wednesday, Fassie said he was driving with a friend in the Randpark Ridge, north of Joburg area, when a light-skinned man clad in a hoodie rushed to his car door and hit him on the face with a panga.
Because the window was open, Fassie grabbed the hand of the attacker and tried to fight him off, he explained.
During the fight, said Fassie, the attacker tried to stab him in the chest with the panga but he, once again, grabbed him and jostled to disarm him.
He said during the scuffle, the attacker chopped his arm twice, cutting one of his major veins before fleeing.
He said he lost so much blood during the attack he was even feeling dizzy when he was driving to the nearest hospital, where he was admitted and later discharged.
“I am living because there is a higher power, my intuition told me to stay at home [that evening], but I ignored it. I should have listened to my gut,” he said.
Fassie said he did not open a case (of assault and attempted murder) because he wants “to pick and choose his fights”.
“We choose our battles in life, this one is not worth it, there are ongoing investigations with Mr Forbes’ case. I mean, the evidence is all around, and I don’t see myself going to stare my attacker in the eye when the matter goes to court, they might have ulterior motives,” he said.
“I dealt with enough of the circus tricks when my mom [Brenda Fassie] passed away, so I am picky about which battles I take on. I have very little trust in those who work in the justice system.”
The former drug addict said he shivers at the thought that the attack could be a drag from his past, but cannot put his finger on a specific name.
“As people, we all have a past. We improve ourselves and yet as a celebrity your past has a way of following you,” he said, noting that some people might be baying for his blood because he has made enemies in the industry.
This, he said, because he had received a weird message after AKA’s untimely death.
The text read: “It should have been you instead of AKA, you bloody shit. You drug addict.”
Fassie pleaded: “I just want people to always be aware of their surroundings when they drive around at night, especially when there is loadshedding.
“This could happen to any ordinary person, not just me who is a celebrity. The roads are dark because of loadshedding, please drive with bright [lights] and keep windows closed.”
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