Exclusive: Missing Annatjie Myburgh’s husband talks about ordeal
"I feel powerless," says Annatjie's husband as the search for the missing woman are scaled down.
CURLEWS – “Do you think something will happen today?” When Ms Annatjie Myburgh (58) asked her husband of 37 years, Mr Wendell Myburgh snr this the day before she was presumably hijacked and kidnapped, he replied, “We can only hope for the best”.
They were referring to break-ins at their homestead about four kilometre on the Curlews Road from Rocky Drift. Over the past seven weeks there were five incidents at their home, always on a Tuesday between 10:00 and 12:00 when they were both at work.
On Tuesday, nobody cut their fence, broke into their cars or burgled their home. The day was without incident.
However, the following day, Annatjie never arrived at work.
She works at Doman Weitz Attorneys in White River.
Wendell received a call from one of her colleagues at 08:05 when they noticed that Annatjie, who is a receptionist at the law firm, had not opened the office as she did every morning.
He was already at work and didn’t know at what time she may have left home, or whether she had in fact left.
When he couldn’t reach her on her cellphone, he phoned the Community Policing Forum and J&M Security.
Upon their arrival at the gate to the Myburgh’s house they found two pangas lying in the driveway in front of the locked gate, and her two-door Pajero gone. That is why it is believed that Annatjie was hijacked.
“When I heard that, I knew something had happened,” Wendell told Lowvelder yesterday morning.
A massive manhunt was launched and J&M circulated a Whatsapp, urging community members to be on the lookout for the vehicle with number plate CHF 482 MP.
Bossies Community Justice, Divergent Ops, Nelspruit Concerned Citizens, the police’s flying squad, dog unit and airwing, farmers and other community members soon joined in the search.
Annatjie’s cellphone was reportedly on for about two hours after she went missing. The signal was traced to Jerusalem Trust and the search focused there.
The vehicle had reportedly been fitted with a tracking device which had been deactivated a few years before and attempts were made to have it reactivated.
However, yesterday at the time of going to press, there were no trace of the vehicle or Annatjie.
The search continued well into the hours of the Wednesday night and Mr Cecil Thornhill of Ella Combrink Youth Camp arranged for food parcels to be packed on Ella’s premises. These where distributed to the members the search parties.
A Facebook group, Bid vir Annatjie Myburg (sic), was also established and at the time of going to print, had 3 683 members. Prayers and messages of support are continuously being posted on the group.
Capt Pieter Smit, commander of the flying squad, said it was heart warming to serve such a close-knitted community and that he was proud to serve it as a police officer.
The search was called down and resumed at 07:00 yesterday.
The search party gathered at Casterbridge and departed to search the Masoyi area.
Mr Shaun Terblanche of J&M Security, said it was like “looking for a needle in a haystack”.
Wendell was asked to stay on the farm and wait for news.
“I feel powerless,” he said, his voice breaking. The second “powerless” over his lips was a whisper, before he got up and turned away to wipe away his tears.
Closer inspection of the scene revealed his wife’s glasses lying in the grass, an abandoned backpack not belonging to the residents of the house, and two pairs of footprints outside the fence. That is why the police told the Myburghs they believe they are looking for two armed suspects.
Wendell suspects they were Mozambicans. “They left their things behind because they were in a hurry. Maybe she screamed. I think they took her to divert attention from the theft of the car. I hope they haven’t crossed the border.”
“I am not coping,” Wendell added as the tears welled up again. “My son is strong, but my daughter broke down last night.”
Marlise Rossouw lives in White River, Wendell Myburgh jnr in Pretoria. He was nearby though, visiting his in-laws in Lydenburg to introduce them to his new-born son. Annatjie became a grandmother seven weeks before her disappearance.
Her husband thinks her attackers hurt her. “She may have struggled when they attacked her, but she would have cooperated once they overpowered her. She can’t drive without her glasses, but we don’t know whether they made her drive.”
Police officials returned to the scene yesterday morning to see if they could find any blood.
Wendell’s phone didn’t stop ringing, nor did the dogs stop barking. There are seven, all female, of different breeds and sizes.
Wendell explained the swathes of strangers were upsetting especially the one, but, he doesn’t really keep them as a security measure.
He lights up when showing off the masses of orchids Annatjie grows and nurses and for which she has won a prize.
“I am not angry,” he said. “I am bitter. She is open, friendly. She will go out of her way to help others. She would never hurt anybody.”
He thanked each and every person contributing their support. “We are just praying for her safe return,” Wendell concluded.
