Cape Town - A Franschhoek man accused of attacking 37-year-old Andy Makoma with a chainsaw on August 7 made his second appearance at the Paarl Magistrate’s Court yesterday where the matter was postponed to Thursday.
Elroy Erasmus, 34, is facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly attacked Makoma on his birthday in his house and in front of his wife and children, accusing him of insulting his wife earlier that Saturday.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the state would oppose Erasmus’s bail application.
Mokoma’s wife Sizeka Busuku said she was praying that Erasmus was denied bail, as they couldn't sleep peacefully after the incident. She said her in-laws were staying with them, as they felt vulnerable and scared of the place.
Meanwhile a BackaBuddy Fundraiser account has been opened to raise funds for Makoma’s recovery, and by yesterday more than R68 000 had been raised.
Fund manager Brian Farley said the family would require counselling because of the nature of the trauma that they witnessed. He said the funds would also help pay for any financial burden the family faced in the future, from medical bills to finding a new home.
“Andy has worked for us for 16 years and is an amazing person. He is a model citizen who came to South Africa to better his future. He is well known in the community for landscaping, as he is a passionate gardener and excellent at his job. To know him is to love him, and we know that the community of Franschhoek loves and supports him,” he said.
The family's friend Trish Heywood said Makoma was stable, and had his one arm amputated below the shoulder.
“The doctors are trying their best to save his other arm. He is heavily sedated to try and keep him calm, and is very restless and obviously in a lot of shock still. The fact that he is still alive is an absolute miracle.
“He has a lot of other wounds on his body, so he is going to have to undergo a large number of surgeries to try and fix those. Any funds or help that can be directed towards his situation will be greatly appreciated,” she said.