Riot Hlatshwayo

Riot Hlatshwayo

Two tourists survived an AK-47 attack near the Kruger Park gate on Wednesday.

Three hours earlier, a security manager at the nearby Manyeleti Game Reserve was shot at while driving from one of the reserve's gates at about 5pm.

One of the tourists was shot in the left arm and leg while his companion was not hurt after two armed men fired shots at their car at a gate leading to a private game reserve near Acornhoek at about 8pm.

One of the victims, a 29-year-old man, told the Mhala police that he was driving towards the gate when he saw two men hiking on the side of the road.

He had just driven past them when he noticed that one of them had a firearm similar to an AK-47 assault rifle.

Mhala police spokesman Inspector Brian Mnisi said the victims heard gunshots and the left front window of the car shattered.

"They drove on in a bid to escape the attack but a while later the passenger told the driver that he had been shot in the left arm and leg," said Mnisi.

The driver rushed the injured man to hospital where he was said to be in a serious but stable condition.

The tourist had called the police as he was driving to hospital.

Police believe the motive for the attack was robbery.

At Manyeleti, police said the victim had just checked on his security guards at the gate and was returning to the camp when he heard gunfire.

"The victim did not stop but drove towards the camp where he later discovered that the back of his vehicle had a bullet hole," said Mnisi.

Police are investigating.