Robbed 'Liedjieboer' left naked

2007-01-25 23:19

Virginia Keppler

Pretoria - Anton Goosen, the Afrikaans singer and composer, was robbed by four men on his farm and left naked next to a farm road.

"They moered my head with an iron bar, the pillow was soaked in blood," he said on Thursday.

"They were cold, calculating and cruel."

The robbers struck shortly after 23:00 on Wednesday night as Goosen slept at his farm, Gansbaai Lapa, on the bank of the Hennops River.

The farm is part of an enclosed security area near Magaliesburg.

It was the second time within weeks that thieves had struck on his farm.

Shortly before Christmas, Goosen's entire workshop was cleaned out.

Blood flowed

In this week's attack, the robbers broke open his kitchen door and overpowered him in his sleep.

He was hit on the head with a firearm, twice, his ribs were kicked and he was manhandled.

"I fell asleep in front of the television, in my bed.

"The next thing I knew, someone had switched off the telly, and I woke up to see four men.

"One of them hit me so hard on the head with a gun that the blood flew.

"My poor Jack Russell, Sky, licked the blood from the pillow," said a shocked Goosen on Thursday afternoon.

"Sky barked furiously and the robbers threatened to kill him if I didn't shut him up.

"I got him to keep quiet, because I thought a gunshot might hit one of the workers on the farm."

The robbers tied Goosen's hands behind his back and threw him in front of the fireplace.

"They took all my money out of the safe, a lot of money."

Loaded up his bakkie

The robbers also made off with his cellphone, an award from Huisgenoot magazine for his lifelong contribution to Afrikaans music, his laptop, electrical goods, clothes, linen and a pistol that he inherited from his grandfather.

Fortunately, they missed his grandfather's gold watch, said Goosen.

"I got thirsty later and asked one of the robbers for some water.

"He went and fetched some in the fridge and held it for me to drink."

Goosen said they loaded all his things onto his blue Corsa bakkie, but could not get it going.

"I offered to get it halfway off the farm for them." Halfway up the hill that leads to the main farm road, his hands were re-tied and he was thrown on to the back of the bakkie.

"Sky was with me all the time. At the farm road they offloaded me and said 'Goodbye, someone will come and help you.'

"Sky and I walked home and I roused the farm workers.

Goosen said he was naked throughout, because he usually slept in his birthday suit.

"I am glad to be alive. I love this land, I was part of the democratic process, and we were all so happy.

'Crime now part of our culture'

"Do you remember when Madiba and Francois (Pienaar) raised the Rugby World Cup in 1995? Things are not the same anymore.

"Crime has become part of our culture and it affects black and white," said Goosen.

Police spokesperson Julia Claassen confirmed the incident on Thursday.

Various people phoned Goosen to wish him well, including fellow entertainers Kurt Darren, Lisa Swart and Chris Chameleon.

- Beeld