One of the four police officers accused of shooting and killing Mthokozisi Ntumba allegedly got out of the police nyala when it stopped next to people standing on the pavement along a street in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, and  randomly started shooting them.

This is the testimony that the Johannesburg high court heard on Thursday from Col Jacob Beeslaar during the trial of the four officers accused of gunning down Ntumba on March 10.

Beeslaar, who is from the public order policing unit in Diepkloof, told the court he recognised one of the accused, Victor Mohamed, 51, when he viewed the video footage of the shooting, a day after the incident.

Ntumba was shot and killed during a student protest over historic debt and non-registration in Braamfontein, allegedly by the police.

On the day of the shooting, Ntumba, 35, was coming out of his doctor's appointment at MyClinic Health Care on De Beer Street.

Officers Tshepiso Kekana, 27, Cidraas Motseothatha, 43, Madimetja Legodi, 37, and Mohammed, face charges of murder and three counts of attempted murder and have pleaded not guilty.

Beeslaar told the court that he heard about the shooting when he was driving to the Johannesburg CBD.

“It was around 11.30am and I heard on the police radio that a person was shot during a protest action. When I arrived I went to Stiemens Street where I met with some of my provincial heads. I was informed by them that a person was killed on De Beer Street,” said Beeslaar.

“There was a large group of students gathering around that area [De Beer Street]. I only visited the scene after the students dispersed. The body was then removed by detectives and I Ieft the scene. I then went to the initial point where other officers were gathered, which is corner Stiemens and Bertha streets,” said Beeslaar.

Beeslaar said he did not know what had happened when he arrived at the scene. “I thought security from a university or college was involved in the shooting. I heard from my colleagues that white cartridges were found at the scene. I thought maybe police may be involved because we also use firearms that discharge white cartridges,” he said.

Beeslaar said he, along with other commanders from the public order policing unit, viewed the footage of the shooting incident.

“I saw there was a police nyala that arrived on the scene. At the scene there were members of the public standing by the pavement area [of the Johannesburg Institute of Engineering and Technology, adjacent MyClinic]. The nyala vehicle stopped at the right-hand lane closest to the members of the public on the pavement area.

“The police got out of the vehicle and shot at the people standing by the pavement using shotguns. I observed that one person was holding his chest as if he was shot.

"After that I saw members jump back into the vehicle [nyala] and the nyala drove off. I only recognised Warrant Officer Mohammed [Victor] on the footage. I could not see the others very well,” said Beeslaar.

The trial continues with the cross-examination of Beeslaar.