It has now become a common Monday or daily conversation starter to say “my so and so” friend or relative got robbed, raped, hijacked or killed this weekend.
This Saturday las, was my turn.
I was going to my garage at 9:00 to pick up some ‘flu medication from my car when I found myself confronted by two gun-wielding thugs. One of them shot at me while I was shouting at the kids to close the gate and door. When they closed the door I instinctively took off, to act as a diversion. One of them pursued me.
When he caught up with me, and shot at me at point blank range and missed again, I picked up a piece of wood and fought back like a mad man. He ran away and I ran to the nearest neighbour, not knowing that in the commotion, two more had gotten into the house, terrorised my children and “redistributed” my TVs and other valuables, and like lightening, vanished in thin air. Fortunately none of my kids were harmed physically.
I am sure I will have a better perspective on this when my anger has subsided. For now, three incidents stand out and make me realise that I love this country even more, and that my soul would have rested in peace if it was my time:
- Even though it took the police an hour to arrive, an entire Muldersdrift Police Station: Commander, Detectives, Forensic Specialists , and Dog Unit converged on my lounge and dining room to comfort my family, take statements, collect evidence and track the filthy scambags up to a point where it is clear on road markings that they got into an awaiting car. Their professionalism was outstanding. Then the entire crew left to attend to another similar incident elsewhere.
- Despite hearing the gunshots, 12 of my neighbours, all of them white, including one mad woman who is always complaining about everything, arrived before the police and together with armed response security, set about looking for four armed and dangerous thugs in the bushes, in the dark.
- Having slept at 4:00AM, I was woken up at 8:00 on Sunday by a neighbour who was not entirely sober after the celebrations of the Springbok and Bafana Bafana wins, to tell me he had come to fix the electric fence they had broken into, just like he promised the night before.
If this is not hope for our country, I don’t know what hope is.
– Andile Ncontsa; a WHAM! contributing editor, and CEO of Litha Communications.