Appeal for donations after Umbilo gardener robbed of brush cutter

AN appeal goes out to the community to assist Umbilo gardener, John Makhanya, with a donation towards or of a new brush cutter after his was stolen from him recently.

John, who is a well-known gardener in the Umbilo and Glenmore area, was held up by two armed men when he was on his way to a job on Wednesday, 30 September.

“I was in Oliver Lea Drive walking to a job with my bags and brush cutter, and I saw a white Toyota Etios with two men in it.”

“They called me and I was happy because I thought they were being to give me some work, but unlucky for me, one man got out and showed me a gun,” he said.

John said the men were both well-dressed and in their mid to late 20s.

“I put my machine (brush cutter) down and gave them the money I had. To me it didn’t matter if the gun was real or a toy, I wasn’t going to take a chance. I don’t think they wanted to kill me, but I thought I it was better to give them what they wanted,” he said, adding that to them the brush cutter wasn’t worth much, however to him, it did. John said the man took his brush cutter and put it in the car, before they drove slowly off down the road.

ALSO READ: Be alert in busy places, says Umbilo CPF

“I left my bag with my rakes, petrol and clippers on the road and I shouted to the resident who lived near, Mark Lombaard, that I had been robbed. I gave him the description of the car, and he reported it straight away. I went home to fix my other brush cutter so that I could take it to work,” he said.

Later that day, John was taken by a resident to Berea SAPS to report the crime.

The driver of the Toyota Etios had already been arrested following a further attempted robbery by the men at a property in Essenwood. The driver had been arrested after he was shot in the arm by a local security officer, and had crashed the vehicle.

“I then reported the case at Umbilo police station. A week later a policewoman called to say they hadn’t found my brush cutter, so I am now still working with my other one. It is taking twice as long to do my work as it breaks sometimes four times while I am working,” he said.

ALSO READ: Suspect arrested following Essenwood house robbery, shootout

Speaking about John, resident, Justine Horn, said he has worked in the area for 30 years and used to work in her garden before he arrived one late one night four years ago, to ask if he could stay in her store room as he had been asked to leave his previous accommodation.

“He lives on my property and works in my garden and others’ in the area. It seems all he ever wants to do is work, he is lost if he isn’t working. Everyone in the area knows him and he fixes people’s equipment too. I have never known anyone with such a good work ethic. John isn’t married and has no children, but sends money home to his family in Umlazi. I really admire him,” she said.

Justine appealed to anyone in the community or a gardening service who could assist with either donations which can be put towards buying a new brush cutter for John, or a brush cutter which is no longer needed, to contact her.

” John is working with his broken brush cutter and although he can fix it, it is wasting his time and he can’t work like this. I really hope someone can help with donations for a new one,” she said.

If anyone can assist, they can contact Justine on 083 269 1647.

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