Montclair teen jogger attacked and bitten by would-be mugger

AN 18-year-old Montclair jogger warns other joggers to never go alone and be careful when on the road after she was attacked and bitten by a man on Montclair Road last Saturday, 11 February.

High school pupil, Asanda Madikizela was out jogging one morning before school like she does everyday, when she noticed a man behind her who seemed to also be jogging.

“What happened to me was so unexpected because I didn’t suspect anything of this man, thinking he was just a jogger,” she said.

The attack started when she looked back to see who was behind her. The man came towards her and demanded her cellphone which was hidden under her shirt.

“I told him I didn’t have one and he lunged towards me, reaching for my breasts as if he knew where I hid it,” said Asanda.

When the attacker realised his victim was not going to give up the phone, he struggled with her. A scuffle ensued and he bit her on her finger and scratched and grazed her back, legs and hands. “I had to fight back and luckily was strong enough to escape. I feared for my life and there was nobody on the road, not even a car. I had to save myself.”

Traumatised, the teenager ran to safety. The avid jogger previously ventured out to run twice daily, has not hit the pavement since the attack.”This incident has discouraged me from jogging because I now fear for my life . This could happen again and next time I may not be so lucky,” she said.

She urges fellow runners to be extra vigilant and never run or jog on their own. “We are not safe in this area because there seems to be a lot of criminals around in Montclair. My biggest concern when it comes to safety is you can’t even take a walk because of what has been happening around this area. Even though police conduct patrols, incidents still happen often and as a result people fear for their lives.

Montclair SAPS communication officer, Cpt Dereck Vijiam advised runners to refrain from using earphones to listen to music as this serves as a distraction. “They forget about their surroundings, allowing the criminal element to take advantage,” he said. He urges them to run or jog in groups and stay away from isolated, dark places.

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