Durban - A pleasant day out on the golf course ended in a terrifying nightmare for three Phoenix friends when a mob of knife-wielding robbers attacked them on their way home.
Adding to their dismay, taxis and motorists passed by them on Sunday evening, without a Good Samaritan in sight.
Rickey Govender, 49, said he was driving home with his friends, brothers Reggie Perumal, 51, who was injured during the incident, and Roy Perumal, 55, in his Toyota Fortuner around 6pm when an assailant stuck his hand through the driver’s open window at a traffic light and grabbed at the key in the ignition.
They had stopped for a red traffic light on Curnick Ndlovu Highway (the M25) at the turn-off to Bester and Phoenix just one kilometre from Govender’s home when the nightmare began.
“I, (stupidly) had my window down and a guy came from nowhere and put his hand through the window and turned the key and the vehicle switched off,” he said.
“Luckily, he couldn’t pull the key out. I put it in neutral and rolled through the red robot even as cars were coming.”
Govender said the car rolled towards a bridge near the intersection and when he turned the key, the engine would not start. He called his wife, but when she arrived with a neighbour to jump-start the car, the battery would not charge, so they left to fetch a tow truck while the three friends waited in the car.
That’s when the mob suddenly surrounded the vehicle.
“We could see them coming and all of a sudden this just happened and you just say please God’,”Govender said.
He said at least four of the mob of 10 shabbily-dressed men between the ages of 20 and 28, were wielding “very big” knives.
“The same guy had come back with a mob and started banging on the car and hitting the back and front passenger windows, and they took a concrete stone and hit the passenger window,” he said.
“The most frightening thing is when they are just taking something and hitting; they have got no mercy, they just want cellphones. They hit it (the window) about five or six times before the glass gave up.”
Govender said Reggie sustained a cut to his eye when the rock flew into the car, shattering the back passenger window. He said several of the thugs were leaning into the car and one man threatened Reggie with a knife, demanding his cellphone and money.
“I gave (them) my cellphoneand they backed off a bit.”
Govender said Reggie managed to flee the scene to get help.
“The most terrifying thing of all was they were hitting the vehicle and there were cars and taxis driving past, and not one of the guys wanted to stop. Even our security company could not come to that point.” “It was very, very terrifying, you don’t know what to do you, you are so helpless.”
Govender said the attack lasted about 10 minutes. The robbers stole their golf shoes off their feet as well as a few golf clubs, a Garmin GPS, a golf GPS, a cellphone, cash and a few unclaimed golf prizes from the boot.
“At the end of the day we thank God we are safe.”
SAPS spokeswoman Captain Nqobile Gwala said a case of robbery had been opened at the Phoenix police station.
“No arrest has been made at this stage.”
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