Cape Town - He had become increasingly wary of passers-by after being robbed of his cellphone while cycling to work, Western Cape MEC of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, told the Cape Town Regional Court.
Winde testified on Friday how his alleged attacker, Xolani Dyidi, robbed him of his iPhone at knife-point on November 2. He said he had thought twice about riding to work after the incident.
“I doubt general citizens on the road when I ride past them and look at everyone differently now.”
Winde, pictured, testified that he and his bodyguard, Warrant Officer Ollof Hendry Nicholson, were cycling in Paarden Island at about 7am when he saw two men standing in the cycle lane.
As he approached, he tried to ride past one man - later identified as Dyidi - but the man allegedly tugged his arm and he fell. His bodyguard crashed into him.
“I thought ‘this is just crazy’ when he grabbed my arm.
But when you see a weapon you say ‘take what you want to take’. All I saw was the silver blade of the knife. He held it behind my neck and took my cellphone.”
Nicholson testified that he kicked Dyidi, 25, of Khayelitsha in the face but Dyidi managed to get away. The other suspect also fled.
Winde and Nicholson cycled to work and once there had used the cellphone’s tracking device to locate it.
Dyidi was arrested in Woodstock about an hour after the robbery. He was in possession of the cellphone and the kitchen knife used in the robbery.
Dyidi took the stand, denying that he robbed Winde. He said that he, his girlfriend and their two-year-old child had been looking for work in Woodstock at the time the incident occurred.
Soon after, he testified he had been walking to his container where he sold second-hand cellphones.
Dyidi told the court that two coloured men had sold the iPhone - valued at R7 000 - to him for just R900.
He testified that Winde’s bodyguard pointed the gun at him and hit him with it. He had searched him and found the items.
Giggles were heard from the public gallery when Dyidi said he knew Winde’s bodyguard as “Whitey” or “Andrew” because he used to buy drugs from him.
Dyidi’s girlfriend and a shop assistant are expected to testify in his defence on Monday.
Cape Argus