• Democratic Alliance MPs Ian Cameron, Lisa Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell were attacked in Philippi after visiting a police training college.
• Residents said the MPs now know what they face daily, as violent crime continues to plague Philippi.

Ian Cameron, who chairs parliament's police portfolio committee, was with fellow MPs Lisa Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell when the attack happened. They had just left the police training college in Philippi.

Gotsell was taken to hospital but his injuries were not critical. Cameron had minor injuries. He acted quickly in self-defence to protect the group.

The area where they were targeted is notorious for smash and grab robberies.

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George Michalakis, the DA's chief whip in parliament, said the party condemned the attack. He said: "No South African is unaffected by crime; the DA again calls on the Minister to openly resource SAPS in crime-ridden areas such as Philippi."

Michalakis said crime was out of control and no one was safe. "The DA has long called on successive ANC Ministers to ensure that policing in areas such as Philippi received priority, and we will continue to do so. Policing is a national function."

He said they trusted police would arrest the attackers, but again urged the minister to provide enough officers and resources in high-crime areas.

Residents of Philippi said while they sympathised with the MPs, they hoped the incident would make them understand how bad crime was in the township.

"We are happy that they were not murdered or stabbed, but what happened to them is happening to us every single day," said one resident.

Another resident asked why they drove through the hotspot without police protection. "Where was the escort, maybe they thought we were telling lies when we say Philippi is a war zone," the resident said.