Five men allegedly assault teen
Anna Venga, the mother of the 14-year-old, fears that the experience could have permanent damage.
“I’m just happy that he is alive, but fear that he may never be the same again.” These were the words of Anna Venga (41), the mother of Andile (14) who was allegedly assaulted by five men.
Anna says Andile and his friends were hanging out near their home in Extension 11 the afternoon before the incident. A classmate then took them to a tavern in Thabeng, where the incident allegedly took place. At around 17:00 on Saturday, 22 August, one of Andile’s friends brought his bicycle home. Anna asked him where Andile was, but the friend couldn’t answer.
The friend then called a classmate and some of his other friends who had been with him earlier that afternoon. They told Anna that a group of men had hit and kicked them, but they didn’t tell her why. When she then asked where her son was, they said they had left him lying on the ground at the tavern.
When her cousin got to the tavern, they learned that a man driving a BMW had seen Andile lying on the ground and had taken him to the hospital. “If it wasn’t for that man, what would’ve happened to my child? “I’m broken-hearted; if it wasn’t for him, my child could have died,” said Anna.
The information she later received was that the group of young boys might have been up to some mischief and stolen something from people’s cars. So when the boys were heading back home, a group of men stopped them and took them back to the tavern, where they allegedly hit the young boys.
Anna says Andile had previously suffered from epilepsy. She suspects that he had had a seizure and couldn’t remember much of what had transpired afterward. He had sustained head injuries and his left eye was swollen. Andile couldn’t speak for three days and Anna believes this could be due to the trauma.
The teen was discharged last Thursday, 27 August. Since then, he was taken to Tshepong Hospital for further check-ups.
Anna fears that the experience could have permanent damage. Since he has been home, he can’t stand for too long and spends most of the time sleeping, due to the injury to his head.
Anna Venga, Andile’s mother.
Sergeant Kelebogile Trom, the police spokesperson, confirms that a case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm is being investigated. No suspects have been arrested yet.
