MP tells of robbery at his house

Cape Town - 111124 - Professor Ben Turok, an ANC MP, leaves the Old Assembly Chambers at Cape Town Parliament after an ANC caucus. Turok is facing diciplinary charges because of this stance on the Protection of Information Bill - Photo: Matthew Jordaan

Cape Town - 111124 - Professor Ben Turok, an ANC MP, leaves the Old Assembly Chambers at Cape Town Parliament after an ANC caucus. Turok is facing diciplinary charges because of this stance on the Protection of Information Bill - Photo: Matthew Jordaan

Published Nov 16, 2012

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Cape Town - Veteran ANC MP Ben Turok has spoken about the ordeal he and his wife underwent when they were robbed at knifepoint at their home.

The couple woke at 1.30am on Tuesday in their Noordhoek home to find three men with balaclavas and torches standing over them.

“They were armed with knives and told us to keep quiet,” Turok, pictured, explained.

“They then ransacked the room, but they found very little. The found a camera, a BlackBerry and took a ring, which my father gave me 40 years ago.

“I gave them some money - I had R600 in my wallet and my wife, Mary, had R100.

“They were remarkably focused. They wanted my laptop, which I didn’t have, my iPad, which they couldn’t find. They did not take my cellphone, for which I’m grateful. “They said they wanted ‘the big money’. “They said: ‘Where’s your safe?’ They wanted big money and guns.”

Turok said he and his wife had been ordered to stand up and their hands were tied.

“My attitude was sullen obedience. Did not fight, did not quarrel,” he explained.

“They then took us downstairs - and the alarm went off. They locked us in the study and ran away.”

Cape Argus

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