Cape Town - It was a day from hell for a nightclub chef, who survived a two-hour hijacking ordeal.
But thanks to the diligence of police and Law Enforcement, the man’s young children were spared from a gang of armed robbers.
The Delft dad’s Wednesday got off to a dramatic start when he rushed his 12-year-old brother-in-law to hospital for appendicitis.
After spending six hours at the doctor, he rushed to Tygerberg Hospital where his wife had just had an operation.
The 38-year old dad spent five hours at hospital before heading to work.
The man, who works nightshift in the Cape Town, said he was extremely tired when he finally arrived home at 2am on Thursday morning, and didn’t circle the area as he usually does.
As he parked his gold Mercedes-Benz in his backyard, four armed men pounced.
“They said ‘give me what you have’ and I gave them my cellpone, keys and my wallet.”
He was abducted and taken to an ATM in Gugulethu.
He says the young suspect behind the wheel couldn’t really drive – “he didn’t even know how to start the car or drop the handbrake”.
He gave them his pin number, and they withdrew “about R2 000”, before heading back to his house.
“They asked what was inside my house and said if I miss an item, they’ll hurt me,” he said.
“I told them that my children were alone and that my wife is sick.
“[But] when they came to my house, they had to make a turn because they saw security.”
They took his house keys and threatened to kill him if he lied about his car not having a tracker.
They then drove to Philippi where a fifth man joined the gang. The chef was dropped off in Philippi and given R10 for taxi fare.
The traumatised man said he spotted a cop car, and flagged it down.
Law Enforcement officers, Inspector Mervin Knowles and Roland Linnert, immediately asked SAPS officials to go to the Delft house.
And it’s a good thing too, because two of the suspects had indeed returned.
In a fortunate twist, a police officer already on the scene spotted his gold Merc in his rearview mirror and gave chase.
The duo crashed the luxury car into a wall and fled on foot.
Law Enforcement’s Assistant Chief for the Rapid Response Unit, Arnold Joseph, said his officers went “beyond the call of duty”.
“It is their diligence and care that ensured the victim was safe, reunited with his family and recovery of the victim’s vehicle,” he said.
Daily Voice