Woman stabbed in Main Road a day before fatal Windermere Drive stabbing
This is the second attack in one week
Following the publication of the City Times story ‘Teen stabbed to death days before her birthday’, new information has emerged of another attack that happened in Main Road, Farrarmere, on April 13, a day before Amanda Lightfoot’s death.
Happy and excited to celebrate her 19th birthday on April 17, Amanda’s life was cut short after she was stabbed to death in what is suspected to have been an opportunistic crime just after 13:00 in Windermere Drive, Farrarmere, on April 14.
The day before, also just after 13:00, Lishanta Rajagopal (22) of Rynfield was leaving work early to attend a doctor’s appointment, when she was attacked with a knife by an unknown man outside her place of work on Main Road.
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She sustained multiple injuries to the left side of her face, including a stab wound to the head.
According to Lishanta, when she got into her car, parked in the street, the assailant suddenly opened the door and started hitting her in the face with the back of a knife.
“I tried to fight him off and was screaming. As I got out of the car, my cellphone fell to the ground,” she said.
“A colleague must have heard the commotion and came to the gate screaming. The attacker picked up my phone and started walking away. It was only when I saw the knife on the ground that I realised I had been stabbed.”
Lishanta was rushed to Life The Glynnwood Hospital for treatment and received five staples each to her head, ear and nose.
Her mother, Premi, said her daughter was very brave in her attempt to fight off the assailant and is grateful that her child is safe.
However, her heart aches for Amanda’s family who cannot say the same.
“We are in complete shock that something like this could have happened in broad daylight in an area that is considered safe,” Premi said.
“It is unthinkable that two similar incidents occurred in the same area within 24 hours.”
She said because of her injuries, Lishanta has lost some hearing in her left ear, but specialists have indicated it should gradually return.
An anonymous source has told the City Times they saw a suspicious man loitering under a tree on the island near where the incident occurred.
According to the information, he had an afro and was wearing a grey jacket, yellow T-shirt and faded grey jeans.
This matches Lishanta’s description of her attacker.
At the time of publication, Lishanta’s statement had not yet been taken.
She explained that on the day of the incident, officers of the Benoni Police Station could not access her in hospital and did not come to their home later that day as promised.
According to Capt Nomsa Sekele, spokesperson for the Benoni SAPS, officers have since been dispatched to the victim to take a statement and open a case.
Investigations into both matters are continuing.
Anyone with information about these incidents should contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app. Information can be given anonymously.
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