Man stabbed in his own bed in Mbombela
Maartin Strydom says it is not the security in his complex that is the problem, but crime in the country.
MBOMBELA – Strydom (60) recounted on Monday how he was attacked with a knife in his bed in Macadamia Village in West Acres on Friday night.
He and his wife Marthina (59) were also robbed. They awoke to find two men in their bedroom at around 22:54. Strydom had first recounted what happened on Facebook. He had posted a photo of himself wearing a bloodied T-shirt just after the incident. He later removed it from social media. On Monday he spoke to Lowvelder about what transpired.
“I was fine and kept busy over the weekend so the ordeal had not affected me. Today, the emotional trauma of what happened hit me.”
Strydom explained his property is on the perimeter of the village. “There is a bushy area neighbouring our home.
“There are thick burglar bars on every window on the house, but they cut the barbed wire and pushed the electric fence up with pieces of wood to get through.”
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Truck driver in shooting incident succumbs to injury
He said the suspects stood on a dustbin to reach the kitchen window and bent the burglar bars to get inside the house. “They must have come in and first stolen the laptop and taken it out of the house while we were asleep. I woke up from a movement in the room.
“When I opened my eyes, there was a man with his knee on my bed leaning over me. I saw another man by my wife’s side of the bed. Luckily he did not do anything to her. The man stabbed me with my Shogun steak knife, but the blade bent and snapped off. It hit my rib and the cut itself was only a minor flesh wound.”
Adrenalin kicked in and Strydom started to hit the suspect with his bare hands. “I could not recount exactly how I fought him off, but I did and I chased both of them out the house.”
The couple phoned Hi-Tech Security, who responded to the scene and notified the police.
Hi-Tech Security Lowveld operations manager, Callum MacPherson, said his members responded and immediately set up a perimeter search for the suspects.
Strydom added that afterwards they could not find the blade of the knife. “We looked for it and finally found it on our dressing table. God must have protected me.”
He added that the village provided adequate security. “There is not a problem with the security at the village. We have a problem with the crime in this country.”
Macadamia Care director, Paul Lagerwey said he was saddened to hear about the incident at the village. “Our care company is seperate from the village. We provide a care unit for them but they are not part of our company and are on the opposite side of the road.”
Police spokesman, Capt Zandile Gwaqa said a laptop, cellphone and wallet were stolen. She added that no arrests had been made and police were investigating.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: More heavy to moderate rains expected for Mozambique
