A LOCAL manual labourer was left traumatised when he was accosted, assaulted and robbed by a group of thugs on the M13’s pedestrian bridge recently.
“At about 7.15am on Sunday, 15 September, I was crossing the station bridge,” said the 40-year-old Dassenhoek resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. “Heading to the opposite side of the bridge, near the pick-up along the M13, I saw three guys coming towards me and, because they walked past me, I thought maybe they were going to work.”
Two of the three men raced back and grabbed the victim from behind. One held him in a headlock while the other one patted him down for valuables. The third man arrived at this time and began punching him.
“They took my money, just more than R300, my cellphone, the tools in my bag and my food for the day, which was a loaf of bread and two litres of juice. My bag was old, but they still tore it open when they grabbed it from me. They took everything inside,” he said.
“I was crying. I was not alright afterwards. The other guys waiting below the bridge to be picked up saw what happened, but they weren’t able to get to me quick enough. The men who robbed and beat me had already ducked into central Pinetown,” he said.
This incident happened just two weeks after a 29-year-old man jumped from the same bridge onto the highway to escape robbers and save his life.
ALSO READ: Fundraiser launched after man jumps from Pinetown bridge, breaks leg to avoid muggers
Driving home along the M13, Westville resident, Jonathan Cookson, noticed the victim in the middle of the fast lane, clutching his leg and screaming in agony.
Jaden Gonyor, the victim, snapped his tibia in half after he jumped from the pedestrian bridge to flee from his alleged muggers. The men are reported to have stolen Gonyor’s month’s wage, as well as his cellphone.
Cookson contacted paramedics and Gonyor was taken to R K Khan Hospital. The doctors were able to save his leg.
Ward 18 councillor, Melanie Brauteseth, expressed her concern that there is no lighting over the pedestrian bridge. She noted that the area is a massive crime hot-spot and needed urgent attention.
“It was established that, as the bridge formed part of a road-to-road pedestrian crossing, it serves the purposes of the municipality and is their responsibility,” said Brauteseth.
Pinetown cluster spokesperson Capt Bongumusa Manqele said, “We do have cases that are reported from that area. Our members in the Pinetown and Railway Police do foot patrols on the bridge. The crime is not on the increase, but other cases are not reported to the police.”
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