Beloved Corolla found, 22 years on

Lost and found – a car that was stolen in Rietfontein in the 1990s has been found in Polokwane still in running condition, and is on road returning home. Pictre: Supplied

Lost and found – a car that was stolen in Rietfontein in the 1990s has been found in Polokwane still in running condition, and is on road returning home. Pictre: Supplied

Published Aug 5, 2015

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Pretoria - Derick Goosen could be forgiven for losing hope that he would ever be reunited with his 1988 Toyota Corolla, stolen from a complex in Wonderboom in 1993.

Finding the vehicle seemed like a lost cause. But thanks to some crafty and diligent police work, Goosen has found his long lost love.

When Goosen, who now lives in Rietfontein, returned from a night out with his friend, his car was nowhere to be found. For months he searched in vain. He lost all hope.

Little did he know that his beloved Corolla had been taken to Limpopo and its engine and vehicle identification numbers had been fraudulently changed, making it difficult to trace.

Goosen said he remembered vividly how his heart sank when he arrived home that night and didn’t find his car where he‘d left it.

“I was staying in a complex in Wonderboom. Back then we didn’t have a fence around the complex.”

The 44-year-old said he rushed to Moot police station and reported it stolen 22 years ago and had never heard from the police about the case since.

At least not until November last year, when police in Limpopo called him, claiming to have tracked down the Corolla in a roadblock. They asked him to travel to Polokwane to identify the vehicle.

NOTHING MISSING

Fearing he would be identifying an old and rugged car balanced on bricks, he said he was surprised to find his car still in a great state.

“The car was still in mint condition; nothing was missing - not even the battery. It’s easy to get to a pound and find your car stripped and missing parts,” he said.

His vehicle had been sold to somebody in Limpopo, and during a festive season operation by police, one of the officers noticed something was amiss.

Speaking to the Pretoria News on Tuesday on his return from Limpopo, Goosen said police told him his vehicle had been sold for R22 000 to an unsuspecting metro police officer in that province.

“She had all the paperwork indicating she was the owner, but she didn’t know it was a stolen car and the information had been changed,” he said.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Ronel Otto said upon inspection, the car’s engine number appeared to have been tampered with, which raised the alarm.

“The vehicle was recovered in Hlogotolou where it was being used as a taxi. It was confiscated under suspicion,” Otto said.

Preliminary investigations confirmed the suspicions and indicated the vehicle had been stolen in Pretoria.

Goosen said he was indescribably ecstatic and still in disbelief.

“The car was of sentimental value to me,” he said. “I loved it and I am grateful I’ve found it.

“I want to thank the police for their hard work. We hear a lot of negative things about the police most of the time, but there are dedicated officers out there doing an amazing job.”

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