A Merebank grandmother was left unable to walk or talk after a gang of robbers attacked her while she was walking home from the local Siva Soobraminar Temple last week.
The woman, 66, who declined to be named, had been attending pre-kavady prayers when she was assaulted and robbed of her thali, another chain and a ring.
While the grandmother of six is undergoing counselling, her husband believes it was the hand of God that saved her. “My wife left home with my daughter and her sister to attend prayers. She used to suffer with cancer but is now in remission. It was very hot inside the temple and she was feeling unwell so she decided to walk home alone.”
He said they lived about 350m from the temple and his wife was halfway home when she was attacked by four men on Nizam Road.
“They were parked in a grey Tata when they saw her coming. One jumped out of the vehicle and asked for directions to Nizam Road. She told them that they were on Nizam Road. The robber then slapped her and she fell to the ground.”
He said the other robbers joined in and started kicking her. “The men picked her up and pushed her into the van, but by the grace of God her mundani (sari shawl) got stuck in a wheel. The men struggled a bit but got her thali and the other jewellery. They threw her out of the vehicle.”
He said she fell to the pavement unconscious. “One of my son’s friends stopped to help.” He took her to my son’s home and he brought her to me. When I saw her I was in shock. She could not walk or talk. Her body was bruised and she was in a lot of pain,” he said.
The family contacted police and thereafter took her to the hospital for a check up.
Describing his wife as a timid person who won’t fight back, the man said the robbers had taken advantage of an elderly person.
“We have been attending services at the temple since 1974 and have walked home alone on many occasions. This is the first time something like this has happened. It was only the hand of God that saved her.”
He said criminals were aware of prayer times and were timing residents. He urged other families to be more vigilant and appealed to police to do more patrols in the area to ensure their safety.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said a case of robbery and assault was being investigated.